Open Quantum Systems: A Stochastic Perspective

Esteban Calzetta, Albert Roura, Enric Verdaguer

Xinyu Zhao

Аурелиан Исар, A. Sãndulescu, A. Corciovei

L. Diósi

Pietro De Checchi, Federico Gallina, Barbara Fresch +1 more

ABSTRACT Stochastic evolution underpins several approaches to the dynamics of open quantum systems, such as random modulation of Hamiltonian parameters, the stochastic Schrödinger equation (SSE), and the stochastic Liouville equation (SLE). These approaches replace the explicit system–environment coupling with an effective system‐only dynamics, where dissipative behavior emerges from ensemble averaging. Stochastic Hamiltonians, in particular, have long served as phenomenological tools in physical chemistry to include environmental effects without recourse to an explicit microscopic derivation. In this work, we aim at a self‐contained and accessible presentation of these approaches to further elaborate on their common roots in essential concepts of stochastic calculus and to delineate the conditions under which they are equivalent. We also discuss how different formulations naturally lead to different numerical time‐integration schemes, better suited for either classical simulation platforms, based on finite‐difference approximations, or quantum algorithms, that employ random unitary maps. Our analysis aims at providing a unified perspective and actionable recipes for classical and quantum implementations of stochastic evolution in the simulation of open quantum systems.

Sayak Adhikari, Roi Baer

The Lindblad master equation is a fundamental tool for describing the evolution of open quantum systems, but its computational complexity poses a significant challenge, especially for large systems. This article introduces a stochastic representation of the Lindblad dissipator that addresses this challenge by bundling the Lindblad operators. The stochastic dissipator maintains the Lindblad form, ensuring completely positive and trace-preserving dynamics. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method by considering a Morse oscillator coupled to a spin bath. Our numerical experiments show that a small number of stochastically bundled operators can accurately capture the system's dynamics, even when the Hilbert space dimension is large. This method offers a new perspective on open quantum systems and provides a computationally efficient way to simulate their dynamics.