Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

CRC Press eBooks

Stochastic Differential Equations for Trace-Class Operators and Quantum Continual Measurements

Alberto Barchielli, Anna Maria Paganoni

Published Apr 5, 2002• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The theory of measurements continuous in time in quantum mechanics (quantum continual measurements) has been formulated by using the notions of instrument and positive operator valued measure [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], arisen inside the operational approach [ 1 , 7 ] to quantum mechanics, by using functional integrals [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], by using quantum stochastic differential equations [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ] and by using classical stochastic differential equations (SDE’s) [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 4 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 6 ]. Various types of SDE’s are involved, and precisely linear and non linear equations for vectors in Hilbert spaces and for trace-class operators. All such equations contain either a diffusive part, or a jump one, or both.

DOI
10.1201/9780203910177-4

Related papers

Stochastic differential equations for trace-class operators and quantum continual measurements

Alberto Barchielli, Anna Maria Paganoni

The theory of measurements continuous in time in quantum mechanics (quantum continual measurements) has been formulated by using the notions of instrument and positive operator valued measure, functional integrals, quantum stochastic differential equations and classical stochastic differential equations (SDE's). Various types of SDE's are involved, and precisely linear and non linear equations for vectors in Hilbert spaces and for trace-class operators. All such equations contain either a diffusive part, or a jump one, or both. In this paper we introduce a class of linear SDE's for trace-class operators, relevant to the theory of continual measurements, and we recall how such SDE's are related to instruments and master equations and, so, to the general formulation of quantum mechanics. We do not present the Hilbert space formulation of such SDE's and we make some mathematical simplifications: no time dependence is introduced into the coefficients and only bounded operators on the Hilbert space of the quantum system are considered. Then we introduce the notion of a posteriori state and the non linear SDE satisfied by such states and we give conditions from which such equation is assured to preserve pure states and to send any mixed state into a pure one for large times. Finally we review the known results about the existence and uniqueness of invariant measures in the purely diffusive case and we give some concrete examples of physical systems.

arXiv:math/0012226•Dec 22, 2000•0 citations

Entropy and information gain in quantum continual measurements

Alberto Barchielli

The theory of measurements continuous in time in quantum mechanics (quantum continual measurements) has been formulated by using the notions of instrument, positive operator valued measure, etc., by using quantum stochastic differential equations and by using classical stochastic differential equations (SDE's) for vectors in Hilbert spaces or for trace-class operators. In the same times Ozawa made developments in the theory of instruments and introduced the related notions of a posteriori states and of information gain [1]. In this paper we introduce a simple class of SDE's relevant to the theory of continual measurements and we recall how they are related to instruments and a posteriori states and, so, to the general formulation of quantum mechanics. Then we introduce and use the notion of information gain and the other results of the paper [1] inside the theory of continual measurements. [1] M. Ozawa, On information gain by quantum measurements of continuous observables, J. Math. Phys. 27 (1986) 759-763.

arXiv:quant-ph/0012115•Dec 21, 2000•2 citations

On the Asymptotic Behaviour of Some Stochastic Differential Equations for Quantum States

Alberto Barchielli, Anna Maria Paganoni

In this article we study the long time behaviour of a class of stochastic differential equations introduced in the theory of measurements continuous in time for quantum open systems. Such equations give the time evolution of the a posteriori states for a system underlying a continual measurement. First of all we give conditions for the equation to preserve pure states and then, in the case of a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, we obtain sufficient conditions from which the stochastic equation for a posteriori states is ensured to map, for t → +∞, mixed states into pure ones. Finally we study existence and uniqueness of an invariant measure for the equations which preserve pure states. We give a general theorem for the purely diffusive case, again in the finite-dimensional case; we then apply it to some physical examples. For the purely jump case, an example is discussed in which the invariant measure exists and is unique.

Infinite Dimensional Analysis Quantum Probability and Related Topics•Jun 1, 2003•23 citations

Measurement theory and stochastic differential equations in quantum mechanics

Alberto Barchielli

Continuous (in time) measurements can be introduced in quantum mechanics by using operation-valued measures and quantum stochastic calculus. In this paper quantum stochastic calculus is used for showing the connections between measurement theory and open-system theory. In particular, it is shown how continuous measurements are strictly related to the concept of output channels, introduced in the framework of quantum stochastic differential equations by Gardiner and Collet.

Physical Review A•Sep 1, 1986•159 citations

Stochastic Dynamics In Hilbert Space

Heinz‐Peter Breuer, Francesco Petruccione

Abstract This chapter contains the foundations of the stochastic formulation of continuous measurements carried out on an open quantum system. It shows that the time evolution of the state vector, conditioned on the measurement record, is given by a piecewise deterministic process in Hilbert space involving continuous time-evolution periods which are broken by randomly occurring, sudden quantum jumps. This so-called unravelling of the quantum master equation in the form of a stochastic process is based on a close relation between quantum dynamical semigroups and piecewise deterministic processes. The general theory is illustrated by means of a number of examples, such as direct, homodyne, and heterodyne photodetection. The chapter also treats the corresponding description of continuous measurements through stochastic Schr ö dinger equations and stochastic differential equations for the density matrix, as well as the stochastic representation of multitime correlations functions.

•Jan 25, 2007•0 citations

A note on a formula of the Lévy-Khinchin type in quantum probability

Alberto Barchielli, Anna Maria Paganoni

In the past few years there has been an increasing interest in a certain class of stochastic differential equations (SDE’s) in Hilbert spaces for applications in quantum mechanics (measurements continuous in time [1-5]) and in quantum optics (photon-detection theory and numerical simulations of master equations [6-10]). Part of the mathematical theory of these equations has been developed in [11], where also “structural properties” of this class of equations have been studied. In the paper [11] it has been shown that such equations are connected with certain semigroups of linear operators and the form of the generator of semigroups related to such SDE’s has been established.

Nagoya Mathematical Journal•Mar 1, 1996•14 citations
The theory of measurements continuous in time in quantum mechanics (quantum continual measurements) has been formulated by using the notions of instrument and positive operator valued measure [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], arisen inside the operational approach [ 1 , 7 ] to quantum mechanics, by using functional integrals [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], by using quantum stochastic differential equations [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ] and by using classical stochastic differential equations (SDE’s) [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 4 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 6 ]. Various types of SDE’s are involved, and precisely linear and non linear equations for vectors in Hilbert spaces and for trace-class operators. All such equations contain either a diffusive part, or a jump one, or both.
The theory of measurements continuous in time in quantum mechanics (quantum continual measurements) has been formulated by using the notions of instrument and positive operator valued measure, functional integrals, quantum stochastic differential equations and classical stochastic differential equations (SDE's). Various types of SDE's are involved, and precisely linear and non linear equations for vectors in Hilbert spaces and for trace-class operators. All such equations contain either a diffusive part, or a jump one, or both. In this paper we introduce a class of linear SDE's for trace-class operators, relevant to the theory of continual measurements, and we recall how such SDE's are related to instruments and master equations and, so, to the general formulation of quantum mechanics. We do not present the Hilbert space formulation of such SDE's and we make some mathematical simplifications: no time dependence is introduced into the coefficients and only bounded operators on the Hilbert space of the quantum system are considered. Then we introduce the notion of a posteriori state and the non linear SDE satisfied by such states and we give conditions from which such equation is assured to preserve pure states and to send any mixed state into a pure one for large times. Finally we review the known results about the existence and uniqueness of invariant measures in the purely diffusive case and we give some concrete examples of physical systems.
The theory of measurements continuous in time in quantum mechanics (quantum continual measurements) has been formulated by using the notions of instrument, positive operator valued measure, etc., by using quantum stochastic differential equations and by using classical stochastic differential equations (SDE's) for vectors in Hilbert spaces or for trace-class operators. In the same times Ozawa made developments in the theory of instruments and introduced the related notions of a posteriori states and of information gain [1]. In this paper we introduce a simple class of SDE's relevant to the theory of continual measurements and we recall how they are related to instruments and a posteriori states and, so, to the general formulation of quantum mechanics. Then we introduce and use the notion of information gain and the other results of the paper [1] inside the theory of continual measurements. [1] M. Ozawa, On information gain by quantum measurements of continuous observables, J. Math. Phys. 27 (1986) 759-763.
In this article we study the long time behaviour of a class of stochastic differential equations introduced in the theory of measurements continuous in time for quantum open systems. Such equations give the time evolution of the a posteriori states for a system underlying a continual measurement. First of all we give conditions for the equation to preserve pure states and then, in the case of a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, we obtain sufficient conditions from which the stochastic equation for a posteriori states is ensured to map, for t → +∞, mixed states into pure ones. Finally we study existence and uniqueness of an invariant measure for the equations which preserve pure states. We give a general theorem for the purely diffusive case, again in the finite-dimensional case; we then apply it to some physical examples. For the purely jump case, an example is discussed in which the invariant measure exists and is unique.
Abstract This chapter contains the foundations of the stochastic formulation of continuous measurements carried out on an open quantum system. It shows that the time evolution of the state vector, conditioned on the measurement record, is given by a piecewise deterministic process in Hilbert space involving continuous time-evolution periods which are broken by randomly occurring, sudden quantum jumps. This so-called unravelling of the quantum master equation in the form of a stochastic process is based on a close relation between quantum dynamical semigroups and piecewise deterministic processes. The general theory is illustrated by means of a number of examples, such as direct, homodyne, and heterodyne photodetection. The chapter also treats the corresponding description of continuous measurements through stochastic Schr ö dinger equations and stochastic differential equations for the density matrix, as well as the stochastic representation of multitime correlations functions.
In the past few years there has been an increasing interest in a certain class of stochastic differential equations (SDE’s) in Hilbert spaces for applications in quantum mechanics (measurements continuous in time [1-5]) and in quantum optics (photon-detection theory and numerical simulations of master equations [6-10]). Part of the mathematical theory of these equations has been developed in [11], where also “structural properties” of this class of equations have been studied. In the paper [11] it has been shown that such equations are connected with certain semigroups of linear operators and the form of the generator of semigroups related to such SDE’s has been established.