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

Entanglement entropy, decoherence, and quantum phase transitions of a dissipative two-level system

Karyn Le Hur

Published Jan 1, 2008• 120 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The concept of entanglement entropy appears in multiple contexts, from black hole physics to quantum information theory, where it measures the entanglement of quantum states. We investigate the entanglement entropy in a simple model, the spin-boson model, which describes a qubit (two-level system) interacting with a collection of harmonic oscillators that models the environment responsible for decoherence and dissipation. The entanglement entropy allows to make a precise unification between entanglement of the spin with its environment, decoherence, and quantum phase transitions. We derive exact analytical results which are confirmed by Numerical Renormalization Group arguments both for an ohmic and a subohmic bosonic bath. Those demonstrate that the entanglement entropy obeys universal scalings. We make comparisons with entanglement properties in the quantum Ising model and in the Dicke model. We also emphasize the possibility of measuring this entanglement entropy using charge qubits subject to electromagnetic noise; such measurements would provide an empirical proof of the existence of entanglement entropy.

Related papers

Universal and Measurable Entanglement Entropy in the Spin-Boson Model

Angela Kopp, Karyn Le Hur

We study the entanglement between a qubit and its environment from the spin-boson model with Ohmic dissipation. Through a mapping to the anisotropic Kondo model, we derive the entropy of entanglement of the spin $E(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\Delta},h)$, where $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is the dissipation strength, $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ is the tunneling amplitude between qubit states, and $h$ is the level asymmetry. For $1\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\gg}\ensuremath{\Delta}/{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ and $(\ensuremath{\Delta},h)\ensuremath{\ll}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$, we show that the Kondo energy scale ${T}_{K}$ controls the entanglement between the qubit and the bosonic environment (${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ is a high-energy cutoff). For $h\ensuremath{\ll}{T}_{K}$, the disentanglement proceeds as $(h/{T}_{K}{)}^{2}$; for $h\ensuremath{\gg}{T}_{K}$, $E$ vanishes as $({T}_{K}/h{)}^{2\ensuremath{-}2\ensuremath{\alpha}}$, up to a logarithmic correction. For a given $h$, the maximum entanglement occurs at a value of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ which lies in the crossover regime $h\ensuremath{\sim}{T}_{K}$. We emphasize the possibility of measuring this entanglement using charge qubits subject to electromagnetic noise.

arXiv:cond-mat/0612095•Physical Review Letters•May 31, 2007•62 citations

Entanglement and Criticality in Quantum Impurity Systems

Karyn Le Hur, Philippe Doucet-Beaupré, Walter Hofstetter

We investigate the entanglement between a spin and its environment in impurity systems which exhibit a second-order quantum phase transition separating a delocalized and a localized phase for the spin. As an application, we employ the spin-boson model, describing a two-level system (spin) coupled to a sub-Ohmic bosonic bath with power-law spectral density, J(omega) proportional to omega(s) and 0 < s < 1. Combining Wilson's numerical renormalization group method and hyperscaling relations, we demonstrate that the entanglement between the spin and its environment is always enhanced at the quantum phase transition resulting in a visible cusp (maximum) in the entropy of entanglement. We formulate a correspondence between criticality and impurity entanglement entropy, and the relevance of these ideas to nanosystems is outlined.

arXiv:0705.0957•Physical Review Letters•Sep 17, 2007•101 citations

Entanglement and dephasing of quantum dissipative systems

Tobias Stauber, F. Guinea

The von Neumann entropy of various quantum dissipative models is calculated in order to discuss the entanglement properties of these systems. First, integrable quantum dissipative models are discussed, i.e., the quantum Brownian motion and the quantum harmonic oscillator. In the case of the free particle, the related entanglement of formation shows no nonanalyticity. In the case of the dissipative harmonic oscillator, there is a nonanalyticity at the transition of underdamped to overdamped oscillations. We argue that this might be a general property of dissipative systems. We show that similar features arise in the dissipative two-level system and study different regimes using sub-Ohmic, Ohmic, and super-Ohmic baths, within a scaling approach.

arXiv:quant-ph/0512007•Physical Review A•Apr 21, 2006•18 citations

Entanglement evolution and quantum phase transition of biased s=1/2 spin-boson model

Chunjian Zhao, Zhiguo Lü, Hang Zheng

The ground state and the spectral structure of lower-lying excited states of a dissipative two-level system coupled to a sub-Ohmic bath (s = 1/2) with nonzero bias have been studied using the unitary transformation method. By calculating the ground-state entanglement entropy, the ground-state average of σ(z)(G), and the static susceptibility of the two-level system, we explore the nature of the transition (crossover) between the delocalized and localized state of the two-level system. Furthermore, we calculate the time-dependent expectation (σ(z)(t)) and the time evolution of the entanglement entropy to show that, when the system undergoes a transition (crossover) from the delocalized to the localized state, the time evolution of the two-level system changes from coherent to decoherent dynamics.

Physical Review E•Jul 11, 2011•19 citations

Entanglement between a qubit and the environment in the spin-boson model

Theo A. Costi, Ross H. McKenzie

The quantitative description of the quantum entanglement between a qubit and its environment is considered. Specifically, for the ground state of the spin-boson model, the entropy of entanglement of the spin is calculated as a function of $\ensuremath{\alpha},$ the strength of the ohmic coupling to the environment, and $\ensuremath{\varepsilon},$ the level asymmetry. This is done by a numerical renormalization group treatment of the related anisotropic Kondo model. For $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}=0,$ the entanglement increases monotonically with $\ensuremath{\alpha},$ until it becomes maximal for $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}{1}^{\ensuremath{-}}.$ For fixed $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}>0,$ the entanglement is a maximum as a function of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ for a value, $\ensuremath{\alpha}={\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{M}<1.$

arXiv:quant-ph/0302055•Physical Review A•Sep 5, 2003•104 citations

Entanglement entropy in collective models

Julien Vidal, Sébastien Dusuel, Thomas Barthel

We discuss the behaviour of the entanglement entropy of the ground state in various collective systems. Results for general quadratic two-mode boson models are given, yielding the relation between quantum phase transitions of the system (signalled by a divergence of the entanglement entropy) and the excitation energies. Such systems naturally arise when expanding collective spin Hamiltonians at leading order via the Holstein–Primakoff mapping. In a second step, we analyse several such models (the Dicke model, the two-level Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer model, the Lieb–Mattis model and the Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick model) and investigate the properties of the entanglement entropy over the whole parameter range. We show that when the system contains gapless excitations the entanglement entropy of the ground state diverges with increasing system size. We derive and classify the scaling behaviours that can be met.

arXiv:cond-mat/0610833•Journal of Statistical Mechanics Theory and Experiment•Jan 22, 2007•102 citations
The concept of entanglement entropy appears in multiple contexts, from black hole physics to quantum information theory, where it measures the entanglement of quantum states. We investigate the entanglement entropy in a simple model, the spin-boson model, which describes a qubit (two-level system) interacting with a collection of harmonic oscillators that models the environment responsible for decoherence and dissipation. The entanglement entropy allows to make a precise unification between entanglement of the spin with its environment, decoherence, and quantum phase transitions. We derive exact analytical results which are confirmed by Numerical Renormalization Group arguments both for an ohmic and a subohmic bosonic bath. Those demonstrate that the entanglement entropy obeys universal scalings. We make comparisons with entanglement properties in the quantum Ising model and in the Dicke model. We also emphasize the possibility of measuring this entanglement entropy using charge qubits subject to electromagnetic noise; such measurements would provide an empirical proof of the existence of entanglement entropy.
We study the entanglement between a qubit and its environment from the spin-boson model with Ohmic dissipation. Through a mapping to the anisotropic Kondo model, we derive the entropy of entanglement of the spin $E(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\Delta},h)$, where $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is the dissipation strength, $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ is the tunneling amplitude between qubit states, and hhh is the level asymmetry. For $1\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\gg}\ensuremath{\Delta}/{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ and $(\ensuremath{\Delta},h)\ensuremath{\ll}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$, we show that the Kondo energy scale TK{T}_{K}TK​ controls the entanglement between the qubit and the bosonic environment (${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ is a high-energy cutoff). For $h\ensuremath{\ll}{T}_{K}$, the disentanglement proceeds as (h/TK)2(h/{T}_{K}{)}^{2}(h/TK​)2; for $h\ensuremath{\gg}{T}_{K}$, EEE vanishes as $({T}_{K}/h{)}^{2\ensuremath{-}2\ensuremath{\alpha}}$, up to a logarithmic correction. For a given hhh, the maximum entanglement occurs at a value of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ which lies in the crossover regime $h\ensuremath{\sim}{T}_{K}$. We emphasize the possibility of measuring this entanglement using charge qubits subject to electromagnetic noise.
We investigate the entanglement between a spin and its environment in impurity systems which exhibit a second-order quantum phase transition separating a delocalized and a localized phase for the spin. As an application, we employ the spin-boson model, describing a two-level system (spin) coupled to a sub-Ohmic bosonic bath with power-law spectral density, J(omega) proportional to omega(s) and 0 < s < 1. Combining Wilson's numerical renormalization group method and hyperscaling relations, we demonstrate that the entanglement between the spin and its environment is always enhanced at the quantum phase transition resulting in a visible cusp (maximum) in the entropy of entanglement. We formulate a correspondence between criticality and impurity entanglement entropy, and the relevance of these ideas to nanosystems is outlined.
The von Neumann entropy of various quantum dissipative models is calculated in order to discuss the entanglement properties of these systems. First, integrable quantum dissipative models are discussed, i.e., the quantum Brownian motion and the quantum harmonic oscillator. In the case of the free particle, the related entanglement of formation shows no nonanalyticity. In the case of the dissipative harmonic oscillator, there is a nonanalyticity at the transition of underdamped to overdamped oscillations. We argue that this might be a general property of dissipative systems. We show that similar features arise in the dissipative two-level system and study different regimes using sub-Ohmic, Ohmic, and super-Ohmic baths, within a scaling approach.
The ground state and the spectral structure of lower-lying excited states of a dissipative two-level system coupled to a sub-Ohmic bath (s = 1/2) with nonzero bias have been studied using the unitary transformation method. By calculating the ground-state entanglement entropy, the ground-state average of σ(z)(G), and the static susceptibility of the two-level system, we explore the nature of the transition (crossover) between the delocalized and localized state of the two-level system. Furthermore, we calculate the time-dependent expectation (σ(z)(t)) and the time evolution of the entanglement entropy to show that, when the system undergoes a transition (crossover) from the delocalized to the localized state, the time evolution of the two-level system changes from coherent to decoherent dynamics.
The quantitative description of the quantum entanglement between a qubit and its environment is considered. Specifically, for the ground state of the spin-boson model, the entropy of entanglement of the spin is calculated as a function of $\ensuremath{\alpha},$ the strength of the ohmic coupling to the environment, and $\ensuremath{\varepsilon},$ the level asymmetry. This is done by a numerical renormalization group treatment of the related anisotropic Kondo model. For $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}=0,$ the entanglement increases monotonically with $\ensuremath{\alpha},$ until it becomes maximal for $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}{1}^{\ensuremath{-}}.$ For fixed $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}>0,$ the entanglement is a maximum as a function of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ for a value, $\ensuremath{\alpha}={\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{M}<1.$
We discuss the behaviour of the entanglement entropy of the ground state in various collective systems. Results for general quadratic two-mode boson models are given, yielding the relation between quantum phase transitions of the system (signalled by a divergence of the entanglement entropy) and the excitation energies. Such systems naturally arise when expanding collective spin Hamiltonians at leading order via the Holstein–Primakoff mapping. In a second step, we analyse several such models (the Dicke model, the two-level Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer model, the Lieb–Mattis model and the Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick model) and investigate the properties of the entanglement entropy over the whole parameter range. We show that when the system contains gapless excitations the entanglement entropy of the ground state diverges with increasing system size. We derive and classify the scaling behaviours that can be met.