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arXiv:2312.15065 · Physical Review Research

Exact finite-time correlation functions for multiterminal setups: Connecting theoretical frameworks for quantum transport and thermodynamics

Gianmichele Blasi, Shishir Khandelwal, Géraldine Haack

Published Nov 4, 2024• 14 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Transport in open quantum systems can be explored through various theoretical frameworks, including the quantum master equation, scattering matrix, and Heisenberg equation of motion. The choice of framework depends on factors such as the presence of interactions, the coupling strength between the system and environment, and whether the focus is on steady-state or transient regimes. Existing literature mainly treats these frameworks independently. Our work establishes connections between them by clarifying the role and status of these approaches using two paradigmatic models for single and multipartite quantum systems in a two-terminal setup under voltage and temperature biases. We derive analytical solutions in both steady-state and transient regimes for the populations, currents, and current correlation functions. Exact results from the Heisenberg equation are shown to align with scattering matrix and master equation approaches within their respective validity regimes. Crucially, we establish a protocol for the weak-coupling limit, bridging the applicability of master equations at weak-coupling with Heisenberg or scattering matrix approaches at arbitrary coupling strength. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.6.043091

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Transport in open quantum systems can be explored through various theoretical frameworks, including the quantum master equation, scattering matrix, and Heisenberg equation of motion. The choice of framework depends on factors such as the presence of interactions, the coupling strength between the system and environment, and whether the focus is on steady-state or transient regimes. Existing literature mainly treats these frameworks independently. Our work establishes connections between them by clarifying the role and status of these approaches using two paradigmatic models for single and multipartite quantum systems in a two-terminal setup under voltage and temperature biases. We derive analytical solutions in both steady-state and transient regimes for the populations, currents, and current correlation functions. Exact results from the Heisenberg equation are shown to align with scattering matrix and master equation approaches within their respective validity regimes. Crucially, we establish a protocol for the weak-coupling limit, bridging the applicability of master equations at weak-coupling with Heisenberg or scattering matrix approaches at arbitrary coupling strength. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
We aim to bridge the gap between quantum coherence, quantum correlations, and nonequilibrium quantum transport in a quantum double-dot (QDD) system interacting with fermionic reservoirs. The system-reservoir coupling is modeled using a Fano-Anderson-type Hamiltonian. The density operator elements of the QDD system are expressed in terms of expectation values involving various combinations of the fermionic creation and annihilation operators associated with the system. By utilizing the quantum Langevin equation and the Heisenberg equation of motion, we derive the precise temporal behavior of these operator averages in terms of nonequilibrium Green's functions and subsequently obtain the time evolution of the density operator elements. Our approach is valid in both the strong coupling and non-Markovian regimes. Additionally, we examine the time evolution of quantum coherence in the QDD system, quantifying it using standard measures such as the l1-norm and the relative entropy of coherence. As observed, coherence reaches a non-zero steady-state value, highlighting its significant potential for applications in quantum information processing and quantum technologies. Furthermore, we establish a connection between quantum coherence and transport current in a QDD system serially coupled to fermionic reservoirs. We then investigate the effects of coupling strength and reservoir memory by tuning the finite spectral width of the reservoir, examining their impact on both transient and steady-state properties, such as quantum coherence and particle current, which could play a crucial role in ultrafast nanodevice applications.
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In this work, we introduce a method for deriving exact master equations from the dynamical map for finite open quantum systems coupled to (in)finite reservoirs, using the principle of minimal dissipation. The exact dynamics of the central spin model, which models a finite-bath open quantum system, is developed for two interaction types: Heisenberg and stochastic pure-dephasing interactions. The Heisenberg interaction yields a novel phase-covariant quantum channel in the strong-coupling regime, offering a new platform for studying a range of quantum information protocols. The stochastic pure-dephasing interaction provides the microscopic derivation of the paradigmatic non-Markovian random telegraph noise (RTN) channel, establishing its quantum foundation and offering insight into stochastic couplings. We derive the closed-form master equations for both models. As a demonstration, we explore the thermodynamic performance of these systems as quantum batteries. A direct relationship between quantum heat current and charging power is revealed, and RTN quantum batteries are shown to have advantages in charge storage.
An extremely useful evolution equation that allows systematically calculating the two-time correlation functions (CF's) of system operators for non-Markovian open (dissipative) quantum systems is derived. The derivation is based on perturbative quantum master equation approach, so non-Markovian open quantum system models that are not exactly solvable can use our derived evolution equation to easily obtain their two-time CF's of system operators, valid to second order in the system-environment interaction. Since the form and nature of the Hamiltonian are not specified in our derived evolution equation, our evolution equation is applicable for bosonic and/or fermionic environments and can be applied to a wide range of system-environment models with any factorized (separable) system-environment initial states (pure or mixed). When applied to a general model of a system coupled to a finite-temperature bosonic environment with a system coupling operator L in the system-environment interaction Hamiltonian, the resultant evolution equation is valid for both L = L(†) and L ≠ L(†) cases, in contrast to those evolution equations valid only for L = L(†) case in the literature. The derived equation that generalizes the quantum regression theorem (QRT) to the non-Markovian case will have broad applications in many different branches of physics. We then give conditions on which the QRT holds in the weak system-environment coupling case and apply the derived evolution equation to a problem of a two-level system (atom) coupled to the finite-temperature bosonic environment (electromagnetic fields) with L ≠ L(†).
Scattering states fulfill the correct boundary conditions of a current carrying open quantum system. Discretizing the energy continuum of these states allows for employing Wilson's numerical renormalization group approach without violating the boundary conditions by using a finite size system. We evolve the analytically known steady-state density operator for a non-interacting quantum-system at finite bias to the full interacting problem by the time-dependent numerical renormalization group after switching on the local charging energy. Using a newly developed algorithm for steady-state nonequilibrium Green functions, we can calculate the current I as function of bias voltage V for arbitrary temperature and magnetic field. A comparison with second-order and GW Kadanoff-Baym-Keldysh results shows excellent agreement for weak interaction strength U .