Master equations of Pointer hamiltonians and decoherence

B. Vacchini

Lutz Sörgel, Klaus Hornberger

We characterize the pointer states generated by the master equation of quantum Brownian motion and derive stochastic equations for the dynamics of their trajectories in phase space. Our method is based on a Poissonian unraveling of the master equation whose deterministic part exhibits soliton-like solutions that can be identified with the pointer states. In the semiclassical limit, their equations of motion in phase space turn into those of classical diffusion, yielding a clear picture of the quantum-classical transition induced by environmental decoherence.

Gershon Kurizki, Abraham G. Kofman

Busse, M., Hornberger, K.

We study the emergence and dynamics of pointer states in the motion of a quantum test particle affected by collisional decoherence. These environmentally distinguished states are shown to be exponentially localized solitonic wavefunctions which evolve according to the classical equations of motion. We explain their formation using the orthogonal unraveling of the master equation, and we demonstrate that the statistical weights of the arising mixture are given by projections of the initial state onto the pointer basis.

Marc Busse, Klaus Hornberger

We study the emergence and dynamics of pointer states in the motion of a quantum test particle affected by collisional decoherence. These environmentally distinguished states are shown to be exponentially localized solitonic wavefunctions which evolve according to the classical equations of motion. We explain their formation using the orthogonal unraveling of the master equation, and we demonstrate that the statistical weights of the arising mixture are given by projections of the initial state onto the pointer basis.