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

arXiv:quant-ph/9708024 · Physical Review A

Quantum anti-Zeno effect

B. Kaulakys, Vygintas Gontis

Published Aug 1, 1997• 93 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Prevention of a quantum system's time evolution by repetitive, frequent measurements of the system's state has been called the quantum Zeno effect (or paradox). Here we investigate theoretically and numerically the effect of repeated measurements on the quantum dynamics of multilevel systems that exhibit the quantum localization of classical chaos. The analysis is based on the wave function and Schr\"odinger equation, without introduction of the density matrix. We show how the quantum Zeno effect in simple few-level systems can be recovered and understood by formal modeling the effect of measurement on the dynamics by randomizing the phases of the measured states. This analysis is extended to investigate the dynamics of multilevel systems driven by an intense external force and affected by frequent measurements. We show that frequent measurements of such quantum systems results in delocalization of the quantum suppression of classical chaos. This result is the opposite of the quantum Zeno effect. The phenomenon of delocalization of the quantum suppression and restoration of quasi-classical time evolution of these systems, owing to repetitive frequent measurements, can therefore be called the quantum anti-Zeno effect. From this analysis we furthermore conclude that frequently or continuously observable quasiclassical systems evolve basically in a classical manner.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.56.1131

Related papers

Quantum dynamics with intermediate measurements in agreement with the classical dynamics

B. Kaulakys

The effect of repetitive measurement for quantum dynamics of driven by an intensive external force of the simple few-level systems as well as of the multilevel systems that exhibit the quantum localisation of classical chaos is investigated. Frequent measurement of the simple system yields to the quantum Zeno effect while that of the suppressed quantum system, which classical counterpart exhibits chaos, results in the delocalisation of the quantum suppression. From the analysis we may conclude that continuously observable quasiclassical system evolves essentially classically-like.

arXiv:quant-ph/9610019•Oct 14, 1996•0 citations

Dynamics of Quantum Zeno and Anti-Zeno Effects in Open System

Peng Zhang, Qing Ai, Yong Li +2 more

We provide a general dynamical approach for the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects in an open quantum system under repeated non-demolition measurements. In our approach the repeated measurements are described by a general dynamical model without the wave function collapse postulation. Based on that model, we further study both the short-time and long-time evolutions of the open quantum system under repeated non-demolition measurements, and derive the measurement-modified decay rates of the excited state. In the cases with frequent ideal measurements at zero-temperature, we re-obtain the same decay rate as that from the wave function collapse postulation (Nature {\bf 405}, 546 (2000)). The correction to the ideal decay rate is also obtained under the non-ideal measurements. Especially, we find that the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects are possibly {\it enhanced} by the non-ideal natures of measurements. For the open system under measurements with arbitrary period, we generally derive the rate equation for the long-time evolution for the cases with {\it arbitrary} temperature and noise spectrum, and show that in the long-time evolution the noise spectrum is effectively tuned by the repeated measurements. Our approach is also able to describe the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects given by the phase modulation pulses, as well as the relevant quantum control schemes.

arXiv:1104.4640•Apr 24, 2011•0 citations

Real measurements and the quantum Zeno effect

Julius Ruseckas, B. Kaulakys

In 1977, Mishra and Sudarshan [J. Math. Phys. 18, 756 (1977)] showed that an unstable particle would never be found decayed while it was continuously observed. They called this effect the quantum Zeno effect (or paradox). Later it was realized that the frequent measurements could also accelerate the decay (quantum anti-Zeno effect). In this paper, we investigate the quantum Zeno effect using the definite model of the measurement. We take into account the finite duration and the finite accuracy of the measurement. A general equation for the jump probability during the measurement is derived. We find that the measurements can cause inhibition (quantum Zeno effect) or acceleration (quantum anti-Zeno effect) of the evolution, depending on the strength of the interaction with the measuring device and on the properties of the system. However, the evolution cannot be fully stopped.

arXiv:quant-ph/0105138•Physical Review A•May 8, 2001•19 citations

The quantum Zeno effect: a solvable model for indirect pre-measurements

Anil Shaji

A simple model of indirect pre-measurements on an unstable quantum state is presented in this paper. The model is completely solvable and the solutions are used to compare the time evolution of the unstable state with and without the influence of the pre-measurement. We find that by choosing the details of the process of pre-measurement appropriately, it is possible to observe both suppression and enhancement of the rate of decay of the unstable state. When the pre-measurements are assumed to lead on to actual measurements, we see that the quantum Zeno effect, and in some instances the 'anti-Zeno' effect, can be produced by repeating the measurement many times in succession. The Zeno effect can appear in our model either as a real consequence of repeated measurements or sometimes merely as an artefact of the manner in which the observations on the system are performed. The anti-Zeno effect appears almost exclusively as an artefact of the details of the measurement. Numerical investigations are included to delineate the regimes in which the quantum Zeno effect and possibly the anti-Zeno effect can occur.

Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General•Nov 4, 2004•4 citations

The classical limit of the quantum zeno effect

Paolo Facchi A, Ro Graffi

Abstract. The evolution of a quantum system subjected to infinitely many measurements in a finite time interval is confined in a proper subspace of the Hilbert space. This phenomenon is called “quantum Zeno effect”: a particle under intensive observation does not evolve. This effect is at variance with the classical evolution, which obviously is not affected by any observations. By a semiclassical analysis we will show that the quantum Zeno effect vanishes at all orders, when the Planck constant tends to zero, and thus it is a purely quantum phenomenon without classical analog, at the same level of tunneling. PACS numbers: 03.65.Sq, 03.65.Xp ar

•Aug 15, 2016•5 citations

The classical limit of the quantum Zeno effect

Paolo Facchi, S. Graffi, Marilena Ligabò

The evolution of a quantum system subjected to infinitely many measurements in a finite time interval is confined in a proper subspace of the Hilbert space. This phenomenon is called 'quantum Zeno effect': a particle under intensive observation which does not evolve. This effect is at variance with the classical evolution, which obviously is not affected by any observations. By a semiclassical analysis, we will show that the quantum Zeno effect vanishes at all orders, when the Planck constant tends to zero, and thus it is a purely quantum phenomenon without classical analog, at the same level of tunneling.

arXiv:0911.5675•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Dec 17, 2009•6 citations
Prevention of a quantum system's time evolution by repetitive, frequent measurements of the system's state has been called the quantum Zeno effect (or paradox). Here we investigate theoretically and numerically the effect of repeated measurements on the quantum dynamics of multilevel systems that exhibit the quantum localization of classical chaos. The analysis is based on the wave function and Schr"odinger equation, without introduction of the density matrix. We show how the quantum Zeno effect in simple few-level systems can be recovered and understood by formal modeling the effect of measurement on the dynamics by randomizing the phases of the measured states. This analysis is extended to investigate the dynamics of multilevel systems driven by an intense external force and affected by frequent measurements. We show that frequent measurements of such quantum systems results in delocalization of the quantum suppression of classical chaos. This result is the opposite of the quantum Zeno effect. The phenomenon of delocalization of the quantum suppression and restoration of quasi-classical time evolution of these systems, owing to repetitive frequent measurements, can therefore be called the quantum anti-Zeno effect. From this analysis we furthermore conclude that frequently or continuously observable quasiclassical systems evolve basically in a classical manner.
The effect of repetitive measurement for quantum dynamics of driven by an intensive external force of the simple few-level systems as well as of the multilevel systems that exhibit the quantum localisation of classical chaos is investigated. Frequent measurement of the simple system yields to the quantum Zeno effect while that of the suppressed quantum system, which classical counterpart exhibits chaos, results in the delocalisation of the quantum suppression. From the analysis we may conclude that continuously observable quasiclassical system evolves essentially classically-like.
We provide a general dynamical approach for the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects in an open quantum system under repeated non-demolition measurements. In our approach the repeated measurements are described by a general dynamical model without the wave function collapse postulation. Based on that model, we further study both the short-time and long-time evolutions of the open quantum system under repeated non-demolition measurements, and derive the measurement-modified decay rates of the excited state. In the cases with frequent ideal measurements at zero-temperature, we re-obtain the same decay rate as that from the wave function collapse postulation (Nature {\bf 405}, 546 (2000)). The correction to the ideal decay rate is also obtained under the non-ideal measurements. Especially, we find that the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects are possibly {\it enhanced} by the non-ideal natures of measurements. For the open system under measurements with arbitrary period, we generally derive the rate equation for the long-time evolution for the cases with {\it arbitrary} temperature and noise spectrum, and show that in the long-time evolution the noise spectrum is effectively tuned by the repeated measurements. Our approach is also able to describe the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects given by the phase modulation pulses, as well as the relevant quantum control schemes.
In 1977, Mishra and Sudarshan [J. Math. Phys. 18, 756 (1977)] showed that an unstable particle would never be found decayed while it was continuously observed. They called this effect the quantum Zeno effect (or paradox). Later it was realized that the frequent measurements could also accelerate the decay (quantum anti-Zeno effect). In this paper, we investigate the quantum Zeno effect using the definite model of the measurement. We take into account the finite duration and the finite accuracy of the measurement. A general equation for the jump probability during the measurement is derived. We find that the measurements can cause inhibition (quantum Zeno effect) or acceleration (quantum anti-Zeno effect) of the evolution, depending on the strength of the interaction with the measuring device and on the properties of the system. However, the evolution cannot be fully stopped.
A simple model of indirect pre-measurements on an unstable quantum state is presented in this paper. The model is completely solvable and the solutions are used to compare the time evolution of the unstable state with and without the influence of the pre-measurement. We find that by choosing the details of the process of pre-measurement appropriately, it is possible to observe both suppression and enhancement of the rate of decay of the unstable state. When the pre-measurements are assumed to lead on to actual measurements, we see that the quantum Zeno effect, and in some instances the 'anti-Zeno' effect, can be produced by repeating the measurement many times in succession. The Zeno effect can appear in our model either as a real consequence of repeated measurements or sometimes merely as an artefact of the manner in which the observations on the system are performed. The anti-Zeno effect appears almost exclusively as an artefact of the details of the measurement. Numerical investigations are included to delineate the regimes in which the quantum Zeno effect and possibly the anti-Zeno effect can occur.
Abstract. The evolution of a quantum system subjected to infinitely many measurements in a finite time interval is confined in a proper subspace of the Hilbert space. This phenomenon is called “quantum Zeno effect”: a particle under intensive observation does not evolve. This effect is at variance with the classical evolution, which obviously is not affected by any observations. By a semiclassical analysis we will show that the quantum Zeno effect vanishes at all orders, when the Planck constant tends to zero, and thus it is a purely quantum phenomenon without classical analog, at the same level of tunneling. PACS numbers: 03.65.Sq, 03.65.Xp ar
The evolution of a quantum system subjected to infinitely many measurements in a finite time interval is confined in a proper subspace of the Hilbert space. This phenomenon is called 'quantum Zeno effect': a particle under intensive observation which does not evolve. This effect is at variance with the classical evolution, which obviously is not affected by any observations. By a semiclassical analysis, we will show that the quantum Zeno effect vanishes at all orders, when the Planck constant tends to zero, and thus it is a purely quantum phenomenon without classical analog, at the same level of tunneling.