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On The Generators of Quantum Dynamical Semigroups

Alexander Wiedemann

Published Jan 1, 2019• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In recent years, digraph induced generators of quantum dynamical semigroups have been introduced and studied, particularly in the context of unique relaxation and invariance. We define the class of pair block diagonal generators, which allows for additional interaction coefficients but preserves the main structural properties. Namely, when the basis of the underlying Hilbert space is given by the eigenbasis of the Hamiltonian (for example the generic semigroups), then the action of the semigroup leaves invariant the diagonal and off-diagonal matrix spaces. In this case, we explicitly compute all invariant states of the semigroup. In order to define this class we provide a characterization of when the Gorini- Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad (GKSL) equation defines a proper generator when arbitrary Lindblad operators are allowed (in particular, they do not need to be trace- less as demanded by the GKSL Theorem). Moreover, we consider the converse con- struction to show that every generator naturally gives rise to a digraph, and that under certain assumptions the properties of this digraph can be exploited to gain knowledge of both the number and the structure of the invariant states of the corre- sponding semigroup. We also consider more general constructions on the von Neumann algebra of all bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space, perhaps infinite dimensional. In partic- ular, we prove that for every semigroup of Schwarz maps on such an algebra which has a subinvariant faithful normal state there exists an associated semigroup of con- tractions on the space of Hilbert-Schmidt operators of the Hilbert space. Moreover, we show that if the original semigroup is weak∗ continuous then the associated semigroup is strongly continuous. We introduce the notion of the extended generator of a semigroup on the bounded operators of a Hilbert space with respect to an or- thonormal basis of the Hilbert space. We describe this form of the generator of a quantum Markov semigroup on the von Neumann algebra of all bounded linear op- erators on a Hilbert space which has an invariant faithful normal state under the assumption that the generator of the associated semigroup has compact resolvent, or under the assumption that the minimal unitary dilation of the associated semigroup of contractions is compact.

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In recent years, digraph induced generators of quantum dynamical semigroups have been introduced and studied, particularly in the context of unique relaxation and invariance. We define the class of pair block diagonal generators, which allows for additional interaction coefficients but preserves the main structural properties. Namely, when the basis of the underlying Hilbert space is given by the eigenbasis of the Hamiltonian (for example the generic semigroups), then the action of the semigroup leaves invariant the diagonal and off-diagonal matrix spaces. In this case, we explicitly compute all invariant states of the semigroup. In order to define this class we provide a characterization of when the Gorini- Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad (GKSL) equation defines a proper generator when arbitrary Lindblad operators are allowed (in particular, they do not need to be trace- less as demanded by the GKSL Theorem). Moreover, we consider the converse con- struction to show that every generator naturally gives rise to a digraph, and that under certain assumptions the properties of this digraph can be exploited to gain knowledge of both the number and the structure of the invariant states of the corre- sponding semigroup. We also consider more general constructions on the von Neumann algebra of all bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space, perhaps infinite dimensional. In partic- ular, we prove that for every semigroup of Schwarz maps on such an algebra which has a subinvariant faithful normal state there exists an associated semigroup of con- tractions on the space of Hilbert-Schmidt operators of the Hilbert space. Moreover, we show that if the original semigroup is weak∗ continuous then the associated semigroup is strongly continuous. We introduce the notion of the extended generator of a semigroup on the bounded operators of a Hilbert space with respect to an or- thonormal basis of the Hilbert space. We describe this form of the generator of a quantum Markov semigroup on the von Neumann algebra of all bounded linear op- erators on a Hilbert space which has an invariant faithful normal state under the assumption that the generator of the associated semigroup has compact resolvent, or under the assumption that the minimal unitary dilation of the associated semigroup of contractions is compact.
Abstract In recent years, digraph induced generators of quantum dynamical semigroups have been introduced and studied, particularly in the context of unique relaxation and invariance. In this article we define the class of pair block diagonal generators, which allows for additional interaction coefficients but preserves the main structural properties. Namely, when the basis of the underlying Hilbert space is given by the eigenbasis of the Hamiltonian (for example the generic semigroups), then the action of the semigroup leaves invariant the diagonal and off-diagonal matrix spaces. In this case, we explicitly compute all invariant states of the semigroup. In order to define this class we provide a characterization of when the Gorini–Kossakowski–Sudarshan–Lindblad (GKSL) equation defines a proper generator when arbitrary Lindblad operators are allowed (in particular, they do not need to be traceless as demanded by the GKSL theorem). Moreover, we consider the converse construction to show that every generator naturally gives rise to a digraph, and that under certain assumptions the properties of this digraph can be exploited to gain knowledge of both the number and the structure of the invariant states of the corresponding semigroup.
Let (Tt)t≥0(T_t)_{t\geq 0}(Tt​)t≥0​ be a Gaussian quantum Markov semigroup with a faithful normal invariant state ρρρ. For every s∈[0,1]s\in[0,1]s∈[0,1], the sss-embedding associated with ρρρ induces a contraction semigroup (Tt(s))t≥0(T_t^{(s)})_{t\geq 0}(Tt(s)​)t≥0​ on the Hilbert--Schmidt space B2(h)\mathcal B_2(\mathsf h)B2​(h); let L(s)L^{(s)}L(s) denote its generator. Without assuming symmetry or quantum detailed balance, we determine the full spectra of L(s)L^{(s)}L(s) and L(s)∗L^{(s)\ast}L(s)∗: they consist, respectively, of the non-negative integer combinations of the eigenvalues of the phase-space drift matrix and of their complex conjugates. We also diagonalize the self-adjoint closure of L(s)∗+L(s)L^{(s)\ast}+L^{(s)}L(s)∗+L(s) and obtain an explicit formula for the spectral gap. Using quantum characteristic functions, we represent Tt(s)T_t^{(s)}Tt(s)​, up to unitary equivalence, as a complex Gaussian integral operator and prove that its kernel is square-integrable for every t>0t>0t>0. Hence Tt(s)T_t^{(s)}Tt(s)​ is a Hilbert--Schmidt operator on B2(h)\mathcal B_2(\mathsf h)B2​(h) for every t>0t>0t>0, and every induced semigroup is immediately compact. Consequently, L(s)L^{(s)}L(s) and L(s)∗L^{(s)\ast}L(s)∗ have compact resolvent for all s∈[0,1]s\in[0,1]s∈[0,1], and their point spectra exhaust their full spectra. These results provide a full quantum counterpart of classical Ornstein--Uhlenbeck spectral theory.
Quantum Markov Semigroups (QMSs) originally arose in the study of the evolutions of irreversible open quantum systems. Mathematically, they are a generalization of classical Markov semigroups where the underlying function space is replaced by a non-commutative operator algebra. In the case when the QMS is uniformly continuous, theorems due to Lindblad \cite{lindblad}, Stinespring \cite{stinespring}, and Kraus \cite{kraus} imply that the generator of the semigroup has the form L(A)=∑n=1∞Vn∗AVn+GA+AG∗L(A)=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}V_n^*AV_n +GA+AG^*L(A)=∑n=1∞​Vn∗​AVn​+GA+AG∗ where VnV_nVn​ and G are elements of the underlying operator algebra. In the present paper we investigate the form of the generators of QMSs which are not necessarily uniformly continuous and act on the bounded operators of a Hilbert space. We prove that the generators of such semigroups have forms that reflect the results of Lindblad and Stinespring. We also make some progress towards forms reflecting Kraus' result. Lastly we look at several examples to clarify our findings and verify that some of the unbounded operators we are using have dense domains.
We present different characterizations of the notion of irreducibility for Quantum Markov Semigroups (QMSs) and investigate its relationship with other relevant features of the dynamics, such as primitivity, positivity improvement and relaxation; in particular, we show that irreducibility, primitivity and relaxation towards a faithful invariant density are equivalent when the semigroup admits an invariant density. Moreover, in the case of uniformly continuous QMSs, we present several useful ways of checking irreducibility in terms of the operators appearing in the generator in GKLS form. Our exposition is as much self-contained as possible, we present some well known results with elementary proofs (collecting all the relevant literature) and we derive new ones. We study both finite and infinite dimensional evolutions and we remark that many results only require the QMS to be made of Schwarz maps.
We investigate symmetric Gaussian Quantum Markov Semigroups (G-QMSs), a class of quantum dynamical semigroups acting on the algebra of bounded operators over a bosonic Fock space, whose generators are given in generalized GKLS form with linear and quadratic terms in canonical operators. Our main goal is to characterize the symmetry of such semigroups with respect to a faithful invariant Gaussian state, in terms of explicit algebraic conditions on the generator’s parameters. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for GNS-symmetry using the action of the semigroup on Weyl operators, and show that under natural assumptions, every symmetric G-QMS is unitarily equivalent to a direct sum of Ornstein–Uhlenbeck-type semigroups. The results are further linked to modular theory by confirming the well-known fact that GNS-symmetry implies commutation with the modular automorphism group. Technical appendices discuss the role of Bogoliubov and metaplectic transformations in simplifying the structure of symmetric semigroups.
Quantum Markov Semigroups (QMSs) originally arose in the study of the evolutions of irreversible open quantum systems. Mathematically, they are a generalization of classical Markov semigroups where the underlying function space is replaced by a non-commutative operator algebra. In the case when the QMS is uniformly continuous, theorems due to the works of Lindblad [Commun. Math. Phys. 48, 119-130 (1976)], Stinespring [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 6, 211-216 (1955)], and Kraus [Ann. Phys. 64, 311-335 (1970)] imply that the generator of the semigroup has the form L(A)=∑n=1∞Vn∗AVn+GA+AG∗, where Vn and G are elements of the underlying operator algebra. In the present paper, we investigate the form of the generators of QMSs which are not necessarily uniformly continuous and act on the bounded operators of a Hilbert space. We prove that the generators of such semigroups have forms that reflect the results of Lindblad and Stinespring. We also make some progress towards forms reflecting Kraus’ result. Finally, we look at several examples to clarify our findings and verify that some of the unbounded operators we are using have dense domains.