Pointer state engineering in open quantum systems

Lorena Ballesteros Ferraz

Kaveh Khodjasteh, V. V. Dobrovitski, Lorenza Viola

Pointer states are long-lasting high-fidelity states in open quantum systems. We show how any pure state in a non-Markovian open quantum system can be made to behave as a pointer state by suitably engineering the coupling to the environment via open-loop periodic control. Engineered pointer states are constructed as approximate fixed points of the controlled open-system dynamics, in such a way that they are guaranteed to survive over a long time with a fidelity determined by the relative precision with which the dynamics is engineered. We provide quantitative minimum-fidelity bounds by identifying symmetry and ergodicity conditions that the decoherence-inducing perturbation must obey in the presence of control, and develop explicit pulse sequences for engineering any desired set of orthogonal states as pointer states. These general control protocols are validated through exact numerical simulations as well as semiclassical approximations in realistic single- and two-qubit dissipative systems. We also examine the role of control imperfections, and show that while pointer-state engineering protocols are highly robust in the presence of systematic pulse errors, the latter can also lead to unintended pointer-state generation in dynamical decoupling implementations, explaining the initial-state selectivity observed in recent experiments.

Lajos Diósi, Claus Kiefer

Classical properties of an open quantum system emerge through its interaction with other degrees of freedom (decoherence). We treat the case where this interaction produces a Markovian master equation for the system. We derive the corresponding distinguished local basis (pointer basis) by three methods. The first demands that the pointer states mimic as closely as possible the local nonunitary evolution. The second demands that the local entropy production be minimal. The third imposes robustness on the inherent quantum and emerging classical uncertainties. All three methods lead to localized Gaussian pointer states, their formation and diffusion being governed by well-defined quantum Langevin equations.

Dorothea Bahns, Anke D. Pohl, Ingo Witt

Harold Ollivier, David Poulin, Wojciech Hubert Zurek

We study the emergence of objective properties in open quantum systems. In our analysis, the environment is promoted from a passive role of a reservoir selectively destroying quantum coherence to an active role of amplifier selectively proliferating information about the system. We show that only preferred pointer states of the system can leave a redundant and therefore easily detectable imprint on the environment. Observers who-as is almost always the case-discover the state of the system indirectly (by probing a fraction of its environment) will find out only about the corresponding pointer observable. Many observers can act in this fashion independently and without perturbing the system. They will agree about its state. In this operational sense, preferred pointer states exist objectively.

́Angel Rivas, Susana F. Huelga