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arXiv:2507.11915 · Communications Physics

Noise-induced quantum mpemba effect

Mingrui Zhao, Zhonghuai Hou

Published May 7, 2026• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The quantum Mpemba effect, an anomalous relaxation phenomenon, has recently attracted much attention. However, how various types of noise, which are ubiquitous in real systems, may affect the quantum Mpemba effect remains unknown. Here, we address this gap by constructing a general dynamical framework for finite-dimensional open quantum systems under random telegraph noise. We identify a mechanism for the quantum Mpemba effect whereby noise-induced deceleration of the relaxation process in typical initial states can either induce or suppress the effect. This result underscores the potential of noise-traditionally viewed as disruptive-as a tool for manipulating relaxation pathways in quantum systems. Moreover, this mechanism leads to a counterintuitive effect—the decoherence rate may be slowed down by noise. How external noise changes the quantum Mpemba effect, where a state farther from equilibrium can relax faster, remains poorly understood. We show that random telegraph noise introduces extra dynamical modes in an enlarged description, slowing selected states and thereby inducing or suppressing this effect.

DOI
10.1038/s42005-026-02645-0

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The quantum Mpemba effect, an anomalous relaxation phenomenon, has recently attracted much attention. However, how various types of noise, which are ubiquitous in real systems, may affect the quantum Mpemba effect remains unknown. Here, we address this gap by constructing a general dynamical framework for finite-dimensional open quantum systems under random telegraph noise. We identify a mechanism for the quantum Mpemba effect whereby noise-induced deceleration of the relaxation process in typical initial states can either induce or suppress the effect. This result underscores the potential of noise-traditionally viewed as disruptive-as a tool for manipulating relaxation pathways in quantum systems. Moreover, this mechanism leads to a counterintuitive effect—the decoherence rate may be slowed down by noise. How external noise changes the quantum Mpemba effect, where a state farther from equilibrium can relax faster, remains poorly understood. We show that random telegraph noise introduces extra dynamical modes in an enlarged description, slowing selected states and thereby inducing or suppressing this effect.
Abstract The quantum Mpemba effect (QMPE) is characterized by a state initially farther from equilibrium relaxing faster than one closer to it. In this work, we investigate the QMPE in an open central-spin model, and examine whether the QMPE emerges when the spins’ system is subjected to their independent noisy environment for different initial states. Simultaneously, we analyze the influence of the noisy environment on the dynamics and demonstrate that tuning local noise strengths can induce the QMPE. Furthermore, we systematically explore finite-size effects by varying the number of peripheral spins. In addition, we investigate the Pontus Mpemba effect within the same framework, demonstrating that an auxiliary decohering environment can accelerate the approach to stationarity. To observe the effect, we select the trace distance, energy, and l 1 -norm coherence as observables. By combining initial-state engineering (global rotation operations) with the modulation of the noisy environment, we clearly reveal the physical mechanisms for inducing and controlling the QMPE in this model. Our results show that both rotating the initial states and applying non-uniform local noises can alter the relaxation rate ordering among different states, leading to crossings in the evolution curves of various physical quantities, that is, the realization of the QMPE. This finding provides a new perspective for manipulating anomalous relaxation behavior in the quantum many-body system and open quantum system.
The Mpemba effect, where a state farther from equilibrium relaxes faster than one closer to it, is a striking phenomenon in both classical and quantum systems. In open quantum systems, however, the quantum Mpemba effect (QME) typically occurs only for specifically chosen initial states, which limits its universality. Here we present a general and experimentally feasible strategy to realize both QME and anti-QME. By applying a temporary bond-dissipation quench, we selectively suppresses or enhances slow relaxation modes, thereby reshaping relaxation pathways independently of both the system and the initial state. We demonstrate this mechanism in systems with dephasing and boundary dissipation, and outline feasible cold-atom implementations. Our results establish controllable dissipation as a versatile tool for quantum control, accelerated relaxation, and efficient nonequilibrium protocols.
The quantum Mpemba effect refers to the counterintuitive phenomenon in which a system initially farther from equilibrium relaxes faster than one prepared closer to it. Several mechanisms have been identified in open quantum systems to explain this behavior, including the strong Mpemba effect, non-Markovian memory, and initial system-reservoir entanglement. Here, we unveil a distinct mechanism rooted in the non-normal nature of the Liouvillian superoperator in Markovian dynamics. When the Liouvillian's eigenmodes are non-orthogonal, transient interference between decaying modes can induce anomalous early-time behavior-such as delayed thermalization or transient freezing-even though asymptotic decay rates remain unchanged. This differs fundamentally from strong Mpemba effects, which hinge on suppressed overlap with slow-decaying modes. We demonstrate this mechanism using a waveguide quantum electrodynamics model, where quantum emitters interact with the photonic modes of a one-dimensional waveguide. The directional and radiative nature of these couplings naturally introduces non-normality into the system's dynamics. As a result, certain initial states-despite being closer to equilibrium-can exhibit slower relaxation at short times. This work reveals a previously unexplored and universal source of Mpemba-like behavior in memoryless quantum systems, expanding the theoretical framework for anomalous relaxation and opening new avenues for control in engineered quantum platforms.
In recent years, the quantum Mpemba effect (QME) which occurs when an out-of-equilibrium system reaches equilibrium faster than another that is closer to equilibrium has attracted significant attention from the scientific community as an intriguing and counterintuitive phenomenon. It generalizes its classical counterpart, extending the concept beyond thermal equilibration. This paper approaches the QME for Markovian open quantum systems from different perspectives. Firstly, we propose a physical mechanism based on decoherence-free subspaces. Secondly, we show that a macroscopic enhancement of the decay rate that scales linearly with system size can be obtained, leading to an extreme version of the phenomenon on Markovian open quantum systems. Thirdly, we study the Mpemba effect through the unravelings of Davies maps, revealing subtleties in the figures of merit which are chosen for obtaining the QME. Lastly, we propose a microscopic model for a better understanding of thermal bath dynamics in this context.
The quantum Mpemba effect is the counterintuitive phenomenon whereby a quantum state initially farther from equilibrium relaxes faster than one initially closer to it. We demonstrate this effect in random Clifford circuits with a conserved U(1)\mathrm{U}(1)U(1) charge, using the entanglement asymmetry to characterize relaxation through dynamical symmetry restoration. Exact numerical simulations show that an initially more asymmetric state can become locally more symmetric than an initially less asymmetric one. We explain this behavior by mapping the dynamics onto a charge-conserving quantum automaton, in which the decay of the entanglement asymmetry is controlled by the statistics of encounters between two particle species evolving according to a symmetric simple exclusion process. This mapping yields an analytic expression for the entanglement asymmetry and provides a simple microscopic mechanism for the quantum Mpemba effect: stronger initial symmetry breaking corresponds to a denser particle configuration, which enhances the frequency of particle encounters and thereby accelerates symmetry restoration.
The Mpemba effect refers to the counterintuitive situation in which a system initially farther from equilibrium can relax faster than one that starts closer to it. In quantum systems, the effect is enriched by the presence of coherent dynamics, dissipation, and metastable manifolds associated with long-lived Liouvillian modes. Here we demonstrate a giant Mpemba effect in open quantum systems, where relaxation can be either hyper-accelerated or dramatically slowed depending on the initial state. We focus on weakly-coupled particle-conserving bosonic networks, each of which independently relaxes rapidly to a unique stationary state. When a weak coherent interaction is introduced, the composite system typically develops slow metastable modes and a hierarchy of relaxation timescales. We show that by tailoring the interaction Hamiltonian, these slow modes can be effectively suppressed for a broad class of initial states satisfying a minimal global requirement, enabling ultrafast relaxation even when the system starts far from equilibrium. Conversely, other initial states-sometimes arbitrarily close to the stationary state-may remain trapped in the metastable manifold and decay anomalously slowly. This mechanism provides a general route to engineer giant Mpemba effects, offering new possibilities for controlling dissipative dynamics, accelerating state preparation, and manipulating relaxation processes in complex quantum devices.