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arXiv:2011.15118

Heisenberg Picture for Open Quantum Systems

Nachiket Karve, R. Loganayagam

Published Nov 30, 2020• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In this note, we develop a framework to describe open quantum systems in the Heisenberg picture, i.e., via time evolving operator algebras. We point out the incompleteness of the previous proposals in this regard. We argue that a complete Heisenberg picture for an open quantum system involves multiple image Heisenberg operators for each system observable. For a given system observable, the number of such image operators is equal to the dimension of the environment Hilbert space. We derive a perturbative expression, accurate upto arbitrary orders in the system environment coupling, for these image operators in terms of a single one point operator. This expression depends non-linearly on the state of the environment. This perturbative expression can equivalently be thought of as deforming the operator product on the Hilbert space of the open quantum system. In the Markovian limit, the one point operator evolves by an adjoint Lindblad equation. We illustrate these ideas using a simple spin system.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2011.15118

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In this note, we develop a framework to describe open quantum systems in the Heisenberg picture, i.e., via time evolving operator algebras. We point out the incompleteness of the previous proposals in this regard. We argue that a complete Heisenberg picture for an open quantum system involves multiple image Heisenberg operators for each system observable. For a given system observable, the number of such image operators is equal to the dimension of the environment Hilbert space. We derive a perturbative expression, accurate upto arbitrary orders in the system environment coupling, for these image operators in terms of a single one point operator. This expression depends non-linearly on the state of the environment. This perturbative expression can equivalently be thought of as deforming the operator product on the Hilbert space of the open quantum system. In the Markovian limit, the one point operator evolves by an adjoint Lindblad equation. We illustrate these ideas using a simple spin system.
Open quantum system theory is fundamental for a proper description of quantum systems in different contexts such as chemistry, condensed matter physics, bio-physics and opto-mechamics. Quantum brownian motion which is analytically described by the Hu-Paz-Zhang (HPZ) model represents one of the most important examples of an open quantum system. In this paper we propose a novel derivation of its master equation, based on the Heisenberg picture. We provide an exact and analytic equation both for the operators as well as for the states. The result, equivalent to the one derived originally by HPZ, is expressed in terms of the spectral density, regardless the strength of the coupling between the system and the environment and allows to compute the time evolution of physically relevant quantities in a much easier way, since it is directly expressed in terms of the spectral density. An example is explicitly studied.
n recent work, Hartmann et al (2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 057202) demonstrated that the classical simulation of the dynamics of open 1D quantum systems with matrix product algorithms can often be dramatically improved by performing time evolution in the Heisenberg picture. For a closed system this was exemplified by an exact matrix product operator (MPO) solution of the time-evolved creation operator of a quadratic fermi chain with a matrix dimension of just two. In this work, we show that this exact solution can be significantly generalized to include the case of an open quadratic fermi chain subjected to master equation evolution with Lindblad operators that are linear in the fermionic operators. Remarkably even in this open system the time evolution of operators continues to be described by MPOs with the same fixed dimension as that required by the solution of a coherent quadratic fermi chain for all times. Through the use of matrix product algorithms the dynamical behaviour of operators in this non-equilibrium open quantum system can be computed with a cost that is linear in the system size. We present some simple numerical examples that highlight how useful this might be for the more detailed study of open system dynamics. Given that Heisenberg picture simulations have been demonstrated to offer significant accuracy improvements for other open systems that are not exactly solvable, our work also provides further insight into how and why this advantage arises.
In recent work, Hartmann et al (2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 057202) demonstrated that the classical simulation of the dynamics of open 1D quantum systems with matrix product algorithms can often be dramatically improved by performing time evolution in the Heisenberg picture. For a closed system this was exemplified by an exact matrix product operator (MPO) solution of the time-evolved creation operator of a quadratic fermi chain with a matrix dimension of just two. In this work, we show that this exact solution can be significantly generalized to include the case of an open quadratic fermi chain subjected to master equation evolution with Lindblad operators that are linear in the fermionic operators. Remarkably even in this open system the time evolution of operators continues to be described by MPOs with the same fixed dimension as that required by the solution of a coherent quadratic fermi chain for all times. Through the use of matrix product algorithms the dynamical behaviour of operators in this non-equilibrium open quantum system can be computed with a cost that is linear in the system size. We present some simple numerical examples that highlight how useful this might be for the more detailed study of open system dynamics. Given that Heisenberg picture simulations have been demonstrated to offer significant accuracy improvements for other open systems that are not exactly solvable, our work also provides further insight into how and why this advantage arises.
Abstract Three fundamental and equivalent mathematical frameworks (“pictures”) in which quantum theory can be lodged are exhibited and their relations and relative advantages/disadvantages are discussed: (1) The Schrödinger picture considers the dynamical development of the overall system state vector as a function of time relative to a fixed complete set of time-independent basis eigenstates; (2) The Heisenberg picture (convenient for the use of Green’s functions) embeds the dynamical development of the system in a time-dependent counter-rotation of the complete set of basis eigenstates relative to the fixed, time-independent overall system state, so that the relation of the latter fixed system state to the counter-rotating basis eigenstates is identically the same in the Heisenberg picture as it is in the Schrödinger picture; (3) the Interaction Picture addresses the situation in which a Hamiltonian, H=H0+H1, involves a part H0 whose equations are relatively easy to solve and a more complicated part, H1, treated perturbatively. The Heisenberg equation of motion for operators is discussed, and is applied to annihilation and creation operators. The S-matrix, density matrix and von Neumann equation, along with superoperators and non-Markovian kinetic equations are also addressed (e.g. the intracollisional field effect).
We introduce simple diagrams and rules to calculate the exact time-local master equation for an arbitrary open quantum system interacting with a bath. In it, the time-convolutionless generator is expanded in the system-bath coupling to all orders, and the nthn\mathrm{th}nth-order contribution is expressed by the superoperators generated from the system operator in the system-bath coupling and the associated nnn-point nonequilibrium correlation functions of the environment operators. This theory generalizes previous attempts to obtain the time-convolutionless generator and provides a general framework to study the non-Markovian, nonequilibrium dynamics of open quantum systems.
We study solutions to the quantum trajectory evolution of NNN-mode open quantum systems possessing a time-independent Hamiltonian, linear Heisenberg-picture dynamics, and Gaussian measurement noise. In terms of the mode annihilation and creation operators, a system will have linear Heisenberg-picture dynamics under two conditions. First, the Hamiltonian must be quadratic. Second, the Lindblad operators describing the coupling to the environment (including those corresponding to the measurement) must be linear. In cases where we can solve the 2N2N2N-degree polynomials that arise in our calculations, we provide an analytical solution for initial states that are arbitrary (i.e., they are not required to have Gaussian Wigner functions). The solution takes the form of an evolution operator, with the measurement-result dependence captured in 2N2N2N stochastic integrals over these classical random signals. The solutions also allow the positive operator-valued measure (POVM), which generates the probabilities of obtaining measurement outcomes, to be determined. To illustrate our results, we solve some single-mode example systems, with the POVMs being of practical relevance to the inference of an initial state, via quantum state tomography. Our key tool is the representation of mixed states of quantum mechanical oscillators as state vectors rather than state matrices (albeit in a larger Hilbert space). Together with methods from Lie algebra, this allows a more straightforward manipulation of the exponential operators comprising the system evolution than is possible in the original Hilbert space.