Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups (GQMSs) are of fundamental importance in modelling the evolution of several quantum systems. Moreover, they represent the noncommutative generalization of classical Orsntein-Uhlenbeck semigroups; analogously to the classical case, GQMSs are uniquely determined by a “drift” matrix Z and a “diffusion” matrix C , together with a displacement vector ζ . In this work, we completely characterize those GQMSs that admit a normal invariant state and we provide a description of the set of normal invariant states; as a side result, we are able to characterize quadratic Hamiltonians admitting a ground state in full generality and using a completely new approach compared to the ones used so far. Moreover, we study the behavior of such semigroups for long times: firstly, we clarify the relationship between the decoherence-free subalgebra and the spectrum of Z . Then, we prove that environment-induced decoherence takes place and that the dynamics approaches an Hamiltonian closed evolution for long times; we are also able to determine the speed at which this happens. Finally, we study convergence of ergodic means and recurrence and transience of the semigroup.
We study regularisation and irreducibility properties of Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups (GQMSs) acting on continuous-variable quantum systems. We first identify a natural notion of regularity for operators in this setting, which allows us to formulate and characterise the smoothing effects of GQMSs in terms of algebraic conditions involving the drift and quantum diffusion matrices. These conditions establish a connection with the controllability theory of quantum linear systems and with the structure of decoherence-free subsystems.
We then characterise irreducibility through several equivalent algebraic criteria: one formulated in terms of the drift and quantum diffusion matrices, one in terms of the operators appearing in the generalised GKLS representation of the generator, and a third given by a quantum analogue of Hörmander's condition. A central and somewhat surprising consequence is that, in contrast with the classical case, irreducibility is strictly stronger than conditions ensuring regularisation. Our results provide an algebraic framework for analysing these properties and lay the groundwork for a broader study of reducible Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups and, more generally, more general relevant quantum Markov semigroups on continuous-variable systems.
Let
(Tt)t≥0 be a Gaussian quantum Markov semigroup with a faithful normal invariant state
ρ. For every
s∈[0,1], the
s-embedding associated with
ρ induces a contraction semigroup
(Tt(s))t≥0 on the Hilbert--Schmidt space
B2(h); let
L(s) denote its generator. Without assuming symmetry or quantum detailed balance, we determine the full spectra of
L(s) and
L(s)∗: they consist, respectively, of the non-negative integer combinations of the eigenvalues of the phase-space drift matrix and of their complex conjugates. We also diagonalize the self-adjoint closure of
L(s)∗+L(s) and obtain an explicit formula for the spectral gap. Using quantum characteristic functions, we represent
Tt(s), up to unitary equivalence, as a complex Gaussian integral operator and prove that its kernel is square-integrable for every
t>0. Hence
Tt(s) is a Hilbert--Schmidt operator on
B2(h) for every
t>0, and every induced semigroup is immediately compact. Consequently,
L(s) and
L(s)∗ have compact resolvent for all
s∈[0,1], and their point spectra exhaust their full spectra. These results provide a full quantum counterpart of classical Ornstein--Uhlenbeck spectral theory.
We study a class of generic quantum Markov semigroups on the algebra of all bounded operators on a Hilbert space h arising from the stochastic limit of a discrete system with generic Hamiltonian HS, acting on h, interacting with a Gaussian, gauge invariant, reservoir. The selfadjoint operator HS determines a privileged orthonormal basis of h. These semigroups leave invariant diagonal and off-diagonal bounded operators with respect to this basis. The action on diagonal operators describes a classical Markov jump process. We construct generic semigroups from their formal generators by the minimal semigroup method and discuss their conservativity (uniqueness). When the semigroup is irreducible we prove uniqueness of the equilibrium state and show that, starting from an arbitrary initial state, the semigroup converges towards this state. We also prove that the exponential speed of convergence of the quantum Markov semigroup coincides with the exponential speed of convergence of the classical (diagonal) semigroup towards its unique invariant measure. The exponential speed is computed or estimated in some examples.
We consider the most general Gaussian quantum Markov semigroup on a one-mode Fock space, discuss its construction from the generalized GKSL representation of the generator. We prove the known explicit formula on Weyl operators, characterize irreducibility and its equivalence to a Hörmander type condition on commutators and establish necessary and sufficient conditions for existence and uniqueness of normal invariant states. We illustrate these results by applications to the open quantum oscillator and the quantum Fokker-Planck model.
We characterize compactness of the Hilbert-Schmidt semigroups induced by finite-mode Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups with a faithful normal invariant state. A unitary second-quantization representation for every $ s $-embedding shows that compactness at one positive time, compact resolvent, drift stability, and uniqueness of the normal invariant state are equivalent. These conditions imply immediate trace-class membership for all embeddings. We derive exact trace-norm and Hilbert-Schmidt norm formulas, an embedding-independent trace identity, and the generator spectrum with algebraic multiplicities. Examples show that compactness does not require the existence of a spectral gap and that a spectral gap need not imply compactness when the invariant state is not unique.