A. Messina

Microscopic derivation of the Jaynes-Cummings model with cavity losses

In this paper we provide a microscopic derivation of the master equation for the Jaynes-Cummings model with cavity losses. We single out both the differences with the phenomenological master equation used in the literature and the approximations under which the phenomenological model correctly describes the dynamics of the atom-cavity system. Some examples wherein the phenomenological and the microscopic master equations give rise to different predictions are discussed in detail.

Lindblad- and non-Lindblad-type dynamics of a quantum Brownian particle

The dynamics of a typical open quantum system, namely a quantum Brownian particle in a harmonic potential, is studied focusing on its non-Markovian regime. Both an analytic approach and a stochastic wave-function approach are used to describe the exact time evolution of the system. The border between two very different dynamical regimes, the Lindblad and non-Lindblad regimes, is identified and the relevant physical variables governing the passage from one regime to the other are singled out. The non-Markovian short-time dynamics is studied in detail by looking at the mean energy, the squeezing, the Mandel parameter, and the Wigner function of the system.

Generation and Detection of a Two-Photon Binomial Schr\"odinger Cat in a Cavity

We introduce the N-photon quantum superposition of two orthogonal generalized binomial states of an electromagnetic field. We then propose, using resonant atom-cavity interactions, nonconditional schemes to generate and reveal such a quantum superposition for the two-photon case in a single-mode high-Q cavity. We finally discuss the implementation of the proposed schemes.

Non-Markovian dynamics of a single electron spin coupled to a nuclear spin bath

We apply the time-convolutionless (TCL) projection operator technique to the model of a central spin, which is coupled to a spin bath via nonuniform Heisenberg interaction. The second-order results of the TCL method for the coherences and populations of the central spin are determined analytically and compared to numerical simulations of the full von Neumann equation of the total system. The TCL approach is found to yield an excellent approximation in the strong field regime for the description of both the short-time dynamics and the long time behavior.

Density-matrix operatorial solution of the non-Markovian master equation for quantum Brownian motion

An original method to exactly solve the non-Markovian master equation describing the interaction of a single harmonic oscillator with a quantum environment in the weak-coupling limit is reported. By using a superoperatorial approach, we succeed in deriving the operatorial solution for the density matrix of the system. Our method is independent of the physical properties of the environment. We show the usefulness of our solution deriving explicit expressions for the dissipative time evolution of some observables of physical interest for the system, such as, for example, its mean energy.

Dissipation and entanglement dynamics for two interacting qubits coupled to independent reservoirs

We derive the master equation of a system of two coupled qubits by taking into account their interaction with two independent bosonic baths. Important features of the dynamics are brought to light, such as the structure of the stationary state at general temperatures and the behaviour of the entanglement at zero temperature, showing the phenomena of sudden death and sudden birth as well as the presence of stationary entanglement for long times. The model presented here is quite versatile and can be of interest in the study of both Josephson junction architectures and cavity-QED.

Dressed states and exact dynamics of intensity-dependent two-mode two-photon Jaynes-Cummings models

Abstract We study the two-photon interaction of a two-level atom with a quantized bimodal field of a loss-free cavity. We assume that both the coupling strength and the atom-field detuning may depend on the populations of the two modes. We show that this general nonlinear model is exactly solvable in terms of a dressing unitary operator. Exact expressions for the eigenstates as well as for the Rabi frequencies of the coupled system are given as explicit functions of the nonlinearity terms present in the model. Exploiting the flexibility of these results, we investigate the atomic inversion supposing that at t=0 one mode is coherent, the other is in a Fock state and the atom is excited. We compare the dynamical behaviour of various particular nonlinear models. A common feature is the presence of collapses and revivals of the Rabi oscillations. We find that the atomic inversion manifests exact periodicity when only one specific type of intensity-dependent term (coupling strength or detuning) is present. Suc...

Population trapping due to cavity losses

In population trapping the occupation of a decaying quantum level keeps a constant non-zero value. We show that an atom-cavity system interacting with an environment characterized by a non-flat spectrum, in the non-Markovian limit, exhibits such a behavior, effectively realizing the preservation of nonclassical states against dissipation. Our results allow to understand the role of cavity losses in hybrid solid state systems and pave the way to the proper description of leakage in the recently developed cavity quantum electrodynamic systems.

Cavity losses for the dissipative Jaynes–Cummings Hamiltonian beyond rotating wave approximation

A microscopic derivation of the master equation for the Jaynes?Cummings model with cavity losses is given, taking into account the terms in the dissipator which vary with frequencies of the order of the vacuum Rabi frequency. Our approach allows us to single out physical contexts wherein the usual phenomenological dissipator turns out to be fully justified and constitutes an extension of our previous analysis (Scala et al 2007 Phys. Rev. A 75 013811), where a microscopic derivation was given in the framework of the rotating wave approximation.

Parametrizations of density matrices

This article gives a brief overview of some recent progress in the characterization and parametrization of density matrices of finite dimensional systems. We discuss in some detail the Bloch-vector and Jarlskog parametrizations and mention briefly the coset parametrization. As applications of the Bloch parametrization we discuss the trace invariants for the case of time dependent Hamiltonians and in some detail the dynamics of three-level systems. Furthermore, the Bloch vector of two-qubit systems as well as the use of the polarization operator basis is indicated. As the main application of the Jarlskog parametrization we construct density matrices for composite systems. In addition, some recent related articles are mentioned without further discussion.