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arXiv:math-ph/0108001

An Algebraic Formulation of Quantum Decoherence

Mario Castagnino, A. R. Ordoniez

Published Aug 1, 2001• 1 citation
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Abstract

An algebraic formalism for quantum decoherence in systems with continuous evolution spectrum is introduced. A certain subalgebra, dense in the characteristic algebra of the system, is defined in such a way that Riemann-Lebesgue theorem can be used to explain decoherence in a well defined final pointer basis.
DOI
10.48550/arxiv.math-ph/0108001

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There are many formalisms to describe quantum decoherence. However, many of them give a non general and ad hoc definition of "pointer basis" or "moving preferred basis", and this fact is a problem for the decoherence program. In this paper we will consider quantum systems under a general theoretical framework for decoherence and present a tentative very general definition of the moving preferred basis. which is implemented in a well known open system model. The obtained decoherence and the relaxation times are defined and compared with those of this model.
Quantum decoherence is both the fundamental mechanism underlying the quantum-to-classical transition and a major challenge for the development of scalable nanoscale quantum technologies. This work introduces a Quantum Phase Space (QPS) framework that provides a unified geometric description of decoherence. The framework is based on a dual structure consisting of an overcomplete continuous frame of minimum-uncertainty states that defines the QPS geometry, and an orthonormal basis that satisfies the strict mathematical requirements for decoherence within the Spectrum Broadcast Structure (SBS) objectivity criterion for pointer states. Within this framework, the variance-covariance matrix of the QPS ground states serves as a universal indicator of decoherence regimes:it is time-independent for Markovian (memoryless) dynamics, and time-dependent for non-Markovian dynamics with memory and information backflow. To illustrate the formalism, the Hu-Paz-Zhang (HPZ) model is generalized to include simultaneous position and momentum couplings to the environment, leading to a generalized non-Markovian master equation characterized by a spectral-density matrix. The corresponding evolution equations for the first moments (⟨p(t)⟩,⟨x(t)⟩)\ (\left\langle p(t) \right\rangle,\left\langle x(t) \right\rangle) (⟨p(t)⟩,⟨x(t)⟩) and for the ground covariance matrix establish a direct connection between microscopic environmental properties, classical-like trajectories and the QPS geometry. The proposed framework provides a unified theoretical foundation for modeling decoherence in nanoscale systems involving simultaneous position and momentum interactions with the environment. The QPS framework may thus bridge fundamental theory and practical quantum engineering, offering a promising coherent pathway to understand, control, and exploit decoherence at the nanoscience frontier.
Quantum decoherence is widely regarded as the principal dynamical mechanism through which classical behaviour emerges from quantum dynamics. This review presents a technical account of decoherence as an open-system phenomenon, emphasizing its mathematical framework, microscopic models, experimental evidence, and foundational implications. Starting from system-environment interactions and reduced density operators, we introduce completely positive trace-preserving maps and Lindblad master equations. We then discuss pure dephasing, pointer-state selection, quantum Brownian motion, spin-boson dynamics, and collisional decoherence. Experimental evidence from atom and molecular interferometry, superconducting qubits, and mesoscopic platforms is examined. Finally, the review assesses the role of decoherence in the quantum measurement problem. Decoherence explains preferred-basis selection and practical suppression of interference, but it does not independently account for the occurrence of a unique measurement outcome.