Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1907.06945 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B

Bridging between laboratory and rotating-frame master equations for open quantum systems

Gal Shavit, B. Horovitz, Moshe Goldstein

Published Nov 27, 2019• 11 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The evolution of a driven open quantum system is often described by the Lindblad master equation. Two prevalent forms of this equation involve approximations with distinct and limited applicability ranges, possibly leading to different outcomes. This work introduces a generalized approach bridging between the two previous methods and uncovering novel behavior in previously inaccessible regimes. The relevance of the generalized approach to quantum-technology systems, such as cavity-coupled quantum dots and single-spin EPR experiments, is demonstrated.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.100.195436

Related papers

Universal Lindblad equation for open quantum systems

Frederik Nathan, Mark Spencer Rudner

We develop a Markovian master equation in the Lindblad form that enables the efficient study of a wide range of open quantum many-body systems that would be inaccessible with existing methods. The validity of the master equation is based entirely on properties of the bath and the system-bath coupling, without any requirements on the level structure within the system itself. The master equation is derived using a Markov approximation that is distinct from that used in earlier approaches. We provide a rigorous bound for the error induced by this Markov approximation; the error is controlled by a dimensionless combination of intrinsic correlation and relaxation timescales of the bath. Our master equation is accurate on the same level of approximation as the Bloch-Redfield equation. In contrast to the Bloch-Redfield approach, our approach ensures preservation of the positivity of the density matrix. As a result, our method is robust, and can be solved efficiently using stochastic evolution of pure states (rather than density matrices). We discuss how our method can be applied to static or driven quantum many-body systems, and illustrate its power through numerical simulation of a spin chain that would be challenging to treat by existing methods.

arXiv:2004.01469•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Sep 3, 2020•212 citations

Invariant-based master equation applied to driven qutrit coupled to a bath and a leaky cavity

Sagarika Basak, A. Javadi, D. Blume

We employ a generalized approach to the master equation for driven open $N$-level ($N>2$) quantum systems using Lewis-Riesenfeld invariants, which avoids the driving-strength restrictions inherent to conventional approaches. We show that the invariant-based master equation provides a unifying generalized framework, which reduces to the frequently employed laboratory-frame master equations and the less frequently employed rotating-frame master equation framework under appropriate simplifications. Extending the prototypical two-level system, we show that the inclusion of another state coupled to the ground state via reservoir-induced dephasing gives rise to qualitatively new dissipative behaviors that are, in general, not captured by standard approximations. We also apply the invariant-based master equation framework to a driven quantum dot coupled to a leaky cavity, demonstrating the framework's ability to capture relevant dissipative dynamics without additional assumptions. Our work paves the way for quantum-control applications in the presence of dissipation.

quant-pharXiv:2607.25005•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Jul 29, 2026•0 citations

A general approach to quantum dynamics using a variational master equation: Application to phonon-damped Rabi rotations in quantum dots

Dara P. S. McCutcheon, Nikesh S. Dattani, Erik M. Gauger +2 more

We develop a versatile master equation approach to describe the nonequilibrium dynamics of a two-level system in contact with a bosonic environment, which allows for the exploration of a wide range of parameter regimes within a single formalism. As an experimentally relevant example, we apply this technique to the study of excitonic Rabi rotations in a driven quantum dot, and compare its predictions to the numerical Feynman integral approach. We find excellent agreement between the two methods across a generally difficult range of parameters. In particular, the variational master equation technique captures effects usually considered to be nonperturbative, such as multiphonon processes and bath-induced driving renormalization, and can give reliable results even in regimes in which previous master equation approaches fail.

arXiv:1105.6015•Physical Review B•Aug 25, 2011•155 citations

A short introduction to the Lindblad master equation

Daniel Manzano

The theory of open quantum systems is one of the most essential tools for the development of quantum technologies. Furthermore, the Lindblad (or Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad) master equation plays a key role as it is the most general generator of Markovian dynamics in quantum systems. In this paper, we present this equation together with its derivation and methods of resolution. The presentation tries to be as self-contained and straightforward as possible to be useful to readers with no previous knowledge of this field.

arXiv:1906.04478•AIP Advances•Feb 1, 2020•710 citations

Open quantum systems: a comparison of Redfield and Lindblad approaches with exact results

Archak Purkayastha, Manas Kulkarni, Abhishek Dhar

We present the Redfield quantum master equation (RQME) description for an open system of non-interacting particles (bosons or fermions) on an arbitrary lattice of N sites in any dimension and connected to multiple reservoirs at different temperatures and chemical potentials. For the N=2 case, we show that RQME gives results which agree with exact analytical results for steady state properties and with exact numerics for time-dependent properties. In comparision, we show that the Lindblad equation approach has a limited domain of validity. These results can be experimentally relevant for cold atoms, cavity QED and far-from-equilibrium quantum dot experiments.

•Nov 12, 2015•0 citations

Simulating Non-Markovian Dynamics in Open Quantum Systems

Meng Xu, Vasilii Vadimov, J. T. Stockburger +1 more

Recent advances in quantum technologies and related experiments have created a need for highly accurate, versatile, and computationally efficient simulation techniques for the dynamics of open quantum systems. Long-lived correlation effects (non-Markovianity), system-environment hybridization, and the necessity for accuracy beyond the Born-Markov approximation form particular challenges. Approaches to meet these challenges have been introduced, originating from different fields, such as hierarchical equations of motion, Lindblad-pseudomode formulas, chain-mapping approaches, quantum Brownian motion master equations, stochastic unravelings, and refined quantum master equations. This diversity, while indicative of the field's relevance, has inadvertently led to a fragmentation that hinders cohesive advances and their effective cross-community application to current problems for complex systems. How are different approaches related to each other? What are their strengths and limitations? Here we give a systematic overview and concise discussion addressing these questions. We make use of a unified framework which very conveniently allows to link different schemes and, this way, may also catalyze further progress. In line with the state of the art, this framework is formulated not in a fully reduced space of the system but in an extended state space which in a minimal fashion includes effective reservoir modes. This in turn offers a comprehensive understanding of existing methods, elucidating their physical interpretations, interconnections, and applicability.

quant-pharXiv:2601.02160•Reviews of Modern Physics•Jan 6, 2026•11 citations
The evolution of a driven open quantum system is often described by the Lindblad master equation. Two prevalent forms of this equation involve approximations with distinct and limited applicability ranges, possibly leading to different outcomes. This work introduces a generalized approach bridging between the two previous methods and uncovering novel behavior in previously inaccessible regimes. The relevance of the generalized approach to quantum-technology systems, such as cavity-coupled quantum dots and single-spin EPR experiments, is demonstrated.
We develop a Markovian master equation in the Lindblad form that enables the efficient study of a wide range of open quantum many-body systems that would be inaccessible with existing methods. The validity of the master equation is based entirely on properties of the bath and the system-bath coupling, without any requirements on the level structure within the system itself. The master equation is derived using a Markov approximation that is distinct from that used in earlier approaches. We provide a rigorous bound for the error induced by this Markov approximation; the error is controlled by a dimensionless combination of intrinsic correlation and relaxation timescales of the bath. Our master equation is accurate on the same level of approximation as the Bloch-Redfield equation. In contrast to the Bloch-Redfield approach, our approach ensures preservation of the positivity of the density matrix. As a result, our method is robust, and can be solved efficiently using stochastic evolution of pure states (rather than density matrices). We discuss how our method can be applied to static or driven quantum many-body systems, and illustrate its power through numerical simulation of a spin chain that would be challenging to treat by existing methods.
We employ a generalized approach to the master equation for driven open NNN-level (N>2N>2N>2) quantum systems using Lewis-Riesenfeld invariants, which avoids the driving-strength restrictions inherent to conventional approaches. We show that the invariant-based master equation provides a unifying generalized framework, which reduces to the frequently employed laboratory-frame master equations and the less frequently employed rotating-frame master equation framework under appropriate simplifications. Extending the prototypical two-level system, we show that the inclusion of another state coupled to the ground state via reservoir-induced dephasing gives rise to qualitatively new dissipative behaviors that are, in general, not captured by standard approximations. We also apply the invariant-based master equation framework to a driven quantum dot coupled to a leaky cavity, demonstrating the framework's ability to capture relevant dissipative dynamics without additional assumptions. Our work paves the way for quantum-control applications in the presence of dissipation.
We develop a versatile master equation approach to describe the nonequilibrium dynamics of a two-level system in contact with a bosonic environment, which allows for the exploration of a wide range of parameter regimes within a single formalism. As an experimentally relevant example, we apply this technique to the study of excitonic Rabi rotations in a driven quantum dot, and compare its predictions to the numerical Feynman integral approach. We find excellent agreement between the two methods across a generally difficult range of parameters. In particular, the variational master equation technique captures effects usually considered to be nonperturbative, such as multiphonon processes and bath-induced driving renormalization, and can give reliable results even in regimes in which previous master equation approaches fail.
The theory of open quantum systems is one of the most essential tools for the development of quantum technologies. Furthermore, the Lindblad (or Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad) master equation plays a key role as it is the most general generator of Markovian dynamics in quantum systems. In this paper, we present this equation together with its derivation and methods of resolution. The presentation tries to be as self-contained and straightforward as possible to be useful to readers with no previous knowledge of this field.
We present the Redfield quantum master equation (RQME) description for an open system of non-interacting particles (bosons or fermions) on an arbitrary lattice of N sites in any dimension and connected to multiple reservoirs at different temperatures and chemical potentials. For the N=2 case, we show that RQME gives results which agree with exact analytical results for steady state properties and with exact numerics for time-dependent properties. In comparision, we show that the Lindblad equation approach has a limited domain of validity. These results can be experimentally relevant for cold atoms, cavity QED and far-from-equilibrium quantum dot experiments.
Recent advances in quantum technologies and related experiments have created a need for highly accurate, versatile, and computationally efficient simulation techniques for the dynamics of open quantum systems. Long-lived correlation effects (non-Markovianity), system-environment hybridization, and the necessity for accuracy beyond the Born-Markov approximation form particular challenges. Approaches to meet these challenges have been introduced, originating from different fields, such as hierarchical equations of motion, Lindblad-pseudomode formulas, chain-mapping approaches, quantum Brownian motion master equations, stochastic unravelings, and refined quantum master equations. This diversity, while indicative of the field's relevance, has inadvertently led to a fragmentation that hinders cohesive advances and their effective cross-community application to current problems for complex systems. How are different approaches related to each other? What are their strengths and limitations? Here we give a systematic overview and concise discussion addressing these questions. We make use of a unified framework which very conveniently allows to link different schemes and, this way, may also catalyze further progress. In line with the state of the art, this framework is formulated not in a fully reduced space of the system but in an extended state space which in a minimal fashion includes effective reservoir modes. This in turn offers a comprehensive understanding of existing methods, elucidating their physical interpretations, interconnections, and applicability.