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arXiv:2002.09739 · Physical Review Research

Generalized theory of pseudomodes for exact descriptions of non-Markovian quantum processes

Graeme Pleasance, Barry M. Garraway, Francesco Petruccione

Published Oct 12, 2020• 84 citations
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Abstract

We develop an exact framework for describing the non-Markovian dynamics of an open quantum system interacting with an environment modeled by a generalized spectral density function.The approach relies on mapping the initial system onto an auxiliary configuration, comprising the original open system coupled to a small number of discrete modes, which in turn are each coupled to an independent Markovian reservoir.Based on the connection between the discrete modes and the poles of the spectral density function, we show how expanding the system using the discrete modes allows for the full inclusion non-Markovian effects within an enlarged open system whose dynamics is governed by an exact Lindblad master equation.Initially we apply this result to obtain a generalization of the pseudomode method [B.M. Garraway, Phys. Rev. A. 55, 2290 (1997)] in cases where the spectral density function has a Lorentzian structure.For many other types of spectral density function, we extend our proof to show that an open system dynamics may be modeled physically using discrete modes which admit a non-Hermitian coupling to the system and for such cases determine the equivalent master equation to no longer be of Lindblad form.For applications involving two discrete modes, we demonstrate how to convert between pathological and Lindblad forms of the master equation using the techniques of the pseudomode method.

DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.2.043058

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We develop an exact framework for describing the non-Markovian dynamics of an open quantum system interacting with an environment modeled by a generalized spectral density function.The approach relies on mapping the initial system onto an auxiliary configuration, comprising the original open system coupled to a small number of discrete modes, which in turn are each coupled to an independent Markovian reservoir.Based on the connection between the discrete modes and the poles of the spectral density function, we show how expanding the system using the discrete modes allows for the full inclusion non-Markovian effects within an enlarged open system whose dynamics is governed by an exact Lindblad master equation.Initially we apply this result to obtain a generalization of the pseudomode method [B.M. Garraway, Phys. Rev. A. 55, 2290 (1997)] in cases where the spectral density function has a Lorentzian structure.For many other types of spectral density function, we extend our proof to show that an open system dynamics may be modeled physically using discrete modes which admit a non-Hermitian coupling to the system and for such cases determine the equivalent master equation to no longer be of Lindblad form.For applications involving two discrete modes, we demonstrate how to convert between pathological and Lindblad forms of the master equation using the techniques of the pseudomode method.
We outline a non-perturbative approach for simulating the behavior of open quantum systems interacting with a bosonic environment defined by a generalized spectral density function. The method is based on replacing the environment by a set of damped harmonic oscillators - the pseudomodes - thereby forming an enlarged open system whose dynamics is governed by a Markovian master equation. Each pseudomode is connected to one of the poles of the spectral density when analytically continued to the lower-half complex frequency plane. Here, we extend previous results to a completely generic class of open system models, and discuss how our framework can be used as a powerful and versatile tool for analyzing non-Markovian open system dynamics. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated on the spin-boson model by accurately benchmarking its predictions against numerically exact results.
The pseudomode framework provides an exact description of the dynamics of an open quantum system coupled to a non-Markovian environment. Using this framework, the influence of the environment on the system is studied in an equivalent model, where the open system is coupled to a finite number of unphysical pseudomodes that follow a time-local master equation. Building on the insight that this master equation does not need to conserve the hermiticity of the pseudomode state, we here ask for the most general conditions on the master equation that guarantee the correct reproduction of the system's original dynamics. We demonstrate that our generalized approach decreases the number of pseudomodes that are required to model, for example, underdamped environments at finite temperature. We also provide an unraveling of the master equation into quantum jump trajectories of non-Hermitian states, which further facilitates the utilization of the pseudomode technique for numerical calculations by enabling the use of easily parallelizable Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we show that pseudomodes, despite their unphysical nature, provide a natural picture in which physical processes, such as the creation of system-bath correlations or the exchange of heat, can be studied. Hence, our results pave the way for future investigations of the system-environment interaction leading to a better understanding of open quantum systems far from the Markovian weak-coupling limit. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Abstract\n We show that an open fermionic system coupled to a continuous environment with unitary system-environment evolution can be exactly mapped onto an auxiliary system consisting of the physical fermion system and a set of discrete fermionic modes subject to non-unitary Lindblad-type system-modes evolution in such a way that reduced dynamics of the fermionic system in the two cases are the same. Conditions for equivalence of reduced dynamics in the two systems are identified and a proof is presented. Our study extends recent work on Bose systems (Tamascelli et al 2018 Phys. Rev. Lett. 120 030402) to the case of open quantum Fermi systems and to multi-time correlation functions. Numerical simulations within a generic junction model are presented for illustration.
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.
Abstract We show that an open fermionic system coupled to a continuous environment with unitary system-environment evolution can be exactly mapped onto an auxiliary system consisting of the physical fermion system and a set of discrete fermionic modes subject to non-unitary Lindblad-type system-modes evolution in such a way that reduced dynamics of the fermionic system in the two cases are the same. Conditions for equivalence of reduced dynamics in the two systems are identified and a proof is presented. Our study extends recent work on Bose systems (Tamascelli et al 2018 Phys. Rev. Lett. 120 030402) to the case of open quantum Fermi systems and to multi-time correlation functions. Numerical simulations within a generic junction model are presented for illustration.
Embedding non-Markovian open quantum dynamics into an enlarged Markovian space offers a powerful route to nonperturbative simulations, where the dynamics of the extended space can be governed by multiple distinct Markovian equations. We show that these distinct embeddings arise from different unravelings of Gaussian bath self-energies, generating a family of deterministic, time-local equations for the extended system. Using the Brownian-oscillator spectral density as an illustrative example, we clarify the relationships among existing approaches, including the Hierarchical Equations of Motion (HEOM) and the Lindblad--pseudomode formalism, and demonstrate how this framework enables numerically stable and efficient simulations. This work provides both a transparent theoretical foundation for embedding techniques and a flexible platform for developing new methods to simulate non-Markovian quantum dynamics.