Mapping the Schrodinger picture of open quantum dynamics (9 pages)

Thomas F. Jordan

K. Heyde, John L. Wood

Claudio Altafini

Samuel Kuypers

In quantum theory, physical systems are usually assumed to evolve relative to a c-number time. This c-number time is unphysical and has turned out to be unnecessary for explaining dynamics: in the timeless approach to quantum theory developed by Page & Wootters 1983 Phys. Rev. D 27 , 2885. ( doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.27.2885 ), subsystems of a stationary universe can instead evolve relative to a ‘clock', which is a quantum system with a q-number time observable. Page & Wootters formulated their construction in the Schrödinger picture, which left open the possibility that the c-number time still plays an explanatory role in the Heisenberg picture. I formulate their construction in the Heisenberg picture and demonstrate how to eliminate c-number time from that picture, too. When the Page–Wootters construction is formulated in the Heisenberg picture, the descriptors of physical systems are functions of the clock's q-number time, and derivatives with respect to this q-number time can be defined in terms of the clock's algebra of observables, which results in a calculus for q-numbers.

Daniele Amato, Paolo Facchi, Arturo Konderak

We study the asymptotic dynamics of open quantum systems in the Heisenberg picture. We find an explicit expression for the attractor subspace and the dynamics that takes place in it. We present the relationship between the attractor subspaces in the Schrödinger and Heisenberg pictures and, in particular, the connection between their algebraic structures. An unfolding theorem of the asymptotics, as well as the fine structure of the recently introduced Choi-Effros decoherence-free algebra, are also discussed. Finally, we show how to extend all the results to the class of Schwarz maps.

Antoine Royer