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arXiv:1207.1610 · Physical Review A

Quantum trajectories: Memory and continuous observation

Alberto Barchielli, Clément Pellegrini, Francesco Petruccione

Published Dec 14, 2012• 20 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Starting from a generalization of the quantum trajectory theory [based on the stochastic Schr\"odinger equation (SSE)], non-Markovian models of quantum dynamics are derived. In order to describe non-Markovian effects, the approach used in this article is based on the introduction of random coefficients in the usual linear SSE. A major interest is that this allows a consistent theory of quantum measurement in continuous time to be developed for these non-Markovian quantum trajectory models. In this context, the notions of ``instrument,'' ``a priori,'' and ``a posteriori'' states can be introduced. The key point is that by starting from a stochastic equation on the Hilbert space of the system, we are able to respect the complete positivity of the mean dynamics for the statistical operator and the requirements of the axioms of quantum measurement theory. The flexibility of the theory is next illustrated by a concrete physical model of a noisy oscillator where non-Markovian effects come from the random environment, colored noises, randomness in the stimulating light, and delay effects. The statistics of the emitted photons and the heterodyne and homodyne spectra are studied, and we show how these quantities are sensitive to the non-Markovian features of the system dynamics, so that, in principle, the observation and analysis of the fluorescent light could reveal the presence of non-Markovian effects and allow for a measure of the spectra of the noises affecting the system dynamics.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.86.063814

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Starting from a generalization of the quantum trajectory theory [based on the stochastic Schr"odinger equation (SSE)], non-Markovian models of quantum dynamics are derived. In order to describe non-Markovian effects, the approach used in this article is based on the introduction of random coefficients in the usual linear SSE. A major interest is that this allows a consistent theory of quantum measurement in continuous time to be developed for these non-Markovian quantum trajectory models. In this context, the notions of instrument,'' a priori,'' and ``a posteriori'' states can be introduced. The key point is that by starting from a stochastic equation on the Hilbert space of the system, we are able to respect the complete positivity of the mean dynamics for the statistical operator and the requirements of the axioms of quantum measurement theory. The flexibility of the theory is next illustrated by a concrete physical model of a noisy oscillator where non-Markovian effects come from the random environment, colored noises, randomness in the stimulating light, and delay effects. The statistics of the emitted photons and the heterodyne and homodyne spectra are studied, and we show how these quantities are sensitive to the non-Markovian features of the system dynamics, so that, in principle, the observation and analysis of the fluorescent light could reveal the presence of non-Markovian effects and allow for a measure of the spectra of the noises affecting the system dynamics.
In this article, we reconsider a version of quantum trajectory theory based on the stochastic Schrödinger equation with stochastic coefficients, which was mathematically introduced in the 1990s, and we develop it in order to describe the non-Markovian evolution of a quantum system continuously measured and controlled, thanks to a measurement-based feedback. Indeed, realistic descriptions of a feedback loop have to include delay and thus need a non-Markovian theory. The theory allows us to put together non-Markovian evolutions and measurements in continuous time, in agreement with the modern axiomatic formulation of quantum mechanics. To illustrate the possibilities of such a theory, we apply it to a two-level atom stimulated by a laser. We introduce closed loop control too, via the stimulating laser, with the aim of enhancing the 'squeezing' of the emitted light, or other typical quantum properties. Note that here we change the point of view with respect to the usual applications of control theory. In our model, the 'system' is the two-level atom, but we do not want to control its state, to bring the atom to a final target state. Our aim is to control the 'Mandel Q-parameter' and the spectrum of the emitted light; in particular, the spectrum is not a property at a single time, but involves a long interval of times (a Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function of the observed output is needed).
By starting from the stochastic Schrödinger equation and quantum trajectory theory, we introduce memory effects by considering stochastic adapted coefficients. As an example of a natural non-Markovian extension of the theory of white noise quantum trajectories we use an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck coloured noise as the output driving process. Under certain conditions a random Hamiltonian evolution is recovered. Moreover, we show that our non-Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations unravel some master equations with memory kernels.
Firstly, the Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations are presented, together with their connections with the theory of measurements in continuous time. Moreover, the stochastic evolution equations are translated into a simulation algorithm, which is illustrated by two concrete examples — the damped harmonic oscillator and a two-level atom with homodyne photodetection. We then consider how to introduce memory effects in the stochastic Schrödinger equation via coloured noise. Specifically, the approach by using the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is illustrated and a simulation for the non-Markovian process proposed. Finally, an analytical approximation technique is tested with the help of the stochastic simulation in a model of a dissipative qubit.
Quantum Markov models have been successfully used to accurately model various physical quantum systems in fields such as quantum optics, optomechanics and superconducting circuits and they provide the basis for (measurement-based) quantum feedback control. However, the quantum Markov assumption is a strong one and it is not expected to hold for general quantum systems of interest. The projection operator approach is one approach that has been developed to model non-Markovian quantum systems by considering its embedding in a larger Markovian quantum system, but mainly in the context of quantum master equations for the dynamics of the unmonitored reduced quantum state of a quantum system. This approach was recently adapted for continuously measured non-Markovian quantum systems, which enables open-loop control but did not yet consider the presence of feedback of the stochastic measurement record, deriving non-Markovian SDEs for the evolution of the projected state of the Markovian embedding. This paper generalizes these stochastic equations to the setting of stochastic feedback based on the continuous-measurement record and shows that the equations take the same form but that previously deterministic terms become stochastic ones which depend on the measurement record, as would be intuitively expected. The stochastic equations are obtained for a generalized class of measurements that includes continuous (possibly adaptive) homodyne and photon counting measurements.
A natural non-Markovian extension of the theory of white noise quantum trajectories is presented. In order to introduce memory effects in the formalism an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck coloured noise is considered as the output driving process. Under certain conditions a random Hamiltonian evolution is recovered. Moreover, non-Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations which unravel non-Markovian master equations are derived. As a prototypical example, an harmonic oscillator is considered, able to emit light and with memory terms in the dynamics. The signature of the non-Markovian dynamics is seen in the spectrum of the emitted light.
We analyze the non-Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equation describing a particle subject to spontaneous collapses in space (in the language of collapse models), or subject to a continuous measurement of its position (in the language of continuous quantum measurement). For the first time, we give the explicit general solution for the free particle case (H=p(2)/2m) and discuss the main properties. We analyze the case of an exponential correlation function for the noise, giving a quantitative description of the dynamics and of its dependence on the correlation time.