It is shown that a convex combination of two non-Markovian evolutions may lead to a Markovian semigroup. This shows that the convex combination of quantum evolutions displaying nontrivial memory effects may result in a perfectly memoryless evolution.
In this paper we analyze the evolution of generalized Pauli channels governed by the memory kernel master equation. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the memory kernel to give rise to legitimate (completely positive and trace-preserving) quantum evolution. In particular, we analyze a class of kernels generating the quantum semi-Markov evolution, which is a natural generalization of the Markovian semigroup. Interestingly, the convex combination of Markovian semigroups goes beyond the semi-Markov case. Our analysis is illustrated with several examples.
Finite-time Markovian channels, unlike their infinitesimal counterparts, do not form a convex set. As a particular instance of this observation, we consider the problem of mixing the three Pauli channels, conservatively assumed to be quantum dynamical semigroups, and fully characterize the resulting ``Pauli simplex.'' We show that neither the set of non-Markovian (completely positive indivisible) nor Markovian channels is convex in the Pauli simplex, and that the measure of non-Markovian channels is about 0.87. All channels in the Pauli simplex are P divisible. A potential application in the context of quantum resource theory is also discussed.
A profound understanding of decoherence and dissipation in quantum dynamics is crucial for the realistic modeling of the evolution of quantum systems. In open quantum dynamics one distinguishes between a memoryless, so-called Markovian evolution and dynamics incorporating memory effects, termed non-Markovian. In this work we study how prevalent memory effects are in the set of all such dynamics. We thus investigate how often a Markovian description is applicable. This question is approached by investigating randomly generated two-step qubit dynamics with respect to different concepts and witnesses of non-Markovianity. We observe that almost all dynamics are non-Markovian, and only a small (yet finite) fraction is Markovian. Furthermore, we study how this proportion changes when considering certain subclasses such as lower rank or mixed-unitary dynamics. Importantly, our results shed light on the relative ratios of -- and interrelations between -- the sets of dynamics that are non-Markovian with respect to different criteria. Finally, we investigate the fraction of dynamics in which the memory effects are necessarily of quantum nature and establish a connection between two recently developed concepts that characterize the quantumness of memory in non-Markovian dynamics.
We investigate the emergence of non-Markovian dynamics in finite-dimensional open quantum systems governed by Weyl dynamical maps and their convex combinations. Using the Hermite normal form, we provide a complete classification of the subgroups of the discrete phase space Zd×Zd, establishing the algebraic framework underlying the Weyl maps. We characterize isotropic Weyl dynamical maps that generate Markovian semigroups and show that anisotropic Weyl maps with nonuniform weight distributions cannot possess the semigroup property. Furthermore, we analyze the role of convexity in the generation and suppression of memory effects. Remarkably, we prove that convex combinations of eternally non-Markovian Weyl dephasing maps can generate Markovian semigroups, demonstrating that non-Markovianity is not additive under mixing. Conversely, we establish a general condition under which convex mixtures of N distinct Weyl semigroups exhibit eternal non-Markovianity. In contrast to the qubit Pauli setting, we further identify the existence of irreducible eternally non-Markovian Weyl dephasing maps, namely, individual dynamical maps that display eternal memory effects without requiring any mixing mechanism. Finally, explicit qutrit examples illustrate the transition among Markovian, non-Markovian and eternally non-Markovian regimes. Our results uncover a fundamental connection among finite phase-space algebra, convex structures, and quantum memory effects, thereby extending the theory of non-Markovian dynamics beyond the Pauli framework.