G. M. Palma

Virtual Field, Causal Photon Absorption and Photodetectors

The time-dependent electric-energy density surrounding a two-level atom fixed at r = 0 is studied, the atom being taken in its ground state at t = 0 and the field having initially only one photon in a delocalized mode. The atom-field coupling includes both rotating and counterrotating terms. The energy density in the rotating wave approximation is shown to behave noncausally, while in the presence of the complete coupling it is shown to be affected only within a sphere of radius r = ct centred on the atom. It is concluded that the counterrotating terms in the atom-field coupling are essential in order to ensure causality and cannot be neglected in any accurate treatment of photon absorption. Some consequences of this conclusion on the operation of photodetectors in one-photon absorption are discussed.

Collision-model-based approach to non-Markovian quantum dynamics

We present a theoretical framework to tackle quantum non-Markovian dynamics based on a microscopic collision model (CM), where the bath consists of a large collection of initially uncorrelated ancillas. Unlike standard memoryless CMs, we endow the bath with memory by introducing interancillary collisions between next system-ancilla interactions. Our model interpolates between a fully Markovian dynamics and the continuous interaction of the system with a single ancilla, i.e., a strongly non-Markovian process. We show that in the continuous limit one can derive a general master equation, which, while keeping such features, is guaranteed to describe an unconditionally completely positive and trace-preserving dynamics. We apply our theory to an atom in a dissipative cavity for a Lorentzian spectral density of bath modes, a dynamics which can be exactly solved. The predicted evolution shows a significant improvement in approaching the exact solution with respect to two well-known memory-kernel master equations.

Entanglement controlled single-electron transmittivity

We show that the electron transmittivity of single electrons propagating along a one-dimensional (1D) wire in the presence of two magnetic impurities is affected by the entanglement between the impurity spins. For suitable values of the electron wave vector, there are two maximally entangled spin states which, respectively, make the wire completely transparent whatever the electron spin state or strongly inhibit electron transmission.

Collective decoherence of cold atoms coupled to a Bose–Einstein condensate

We examine the time evolution of cold atoms (impurities) interacting with an environment consisting of a degenerate bosonic quantum gas. The impurity atoms differ from the environment atoms, being of a different species. This allows one to superimpose two independent trapping potentials, each being effective only on one atomic kind, while transparent to the other. When the environment is homogeneous and the impurities are confined in a potential consisting of a set of double wells, the system can be described in terms of an effective spin-boson model, where the occupation of the left or right well of each site represents the two (pseudo)-spin states. The irreversible dynamics of such system is here studied exactly, i.e. not in terms of a Markovian master equation. The dynamics of one and two impurities is remarkably different in respect of the standard decoherence of the spin-boson system. In particular, we show: (i) the appearance of coherence oscillations, (ii) the presence of super and subdecoherent states that differ from the standard ones of the spin-boson model, and (iii) the persistence of coherence in the system at long times. We show that this behaviour is due to the fact that the pseudospins have an internal spatial structure. We argue that collective decoherence also prompts information about the correlation length of the environment. In a one-dimensional (1D) configuration, one can change even more strongly the qualitative behaviour of the dephasing just by tuning the interaction of the bath.

Atoms dressed and partially dressed by the zero-point fluctuations of the electromagnetic field

An atom or a molecule is constituted by a set of bound electric charges with dynamics governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. These charges are sources of the quantized electromagnetic field which also binds them together, and thus the effects of their interaction with the field cannot be disregarded in principle. Consequently even overall neutral atoms, on which we focus our attention, are driven by a dynamics which is inextricably related to the dynamics of the quantized electromagnetic field. One of the most prominent aspects of the atom-held interaction is the existence of a cloud of virtual photons which dresses the atom even in the lowest possible energy state of the system. In this paper we review the static as well as the dynamic aspects of the theory of the virtual cloud around the neutral atoms. We begin by reviewing various forms of the atom-field coupling as well as various models of simplified atoms which will be used in the rest of the paper. The question then arises as how to characterize quantitatively the shape of the virtual cloud, and we show that the energy density of the electromagnetic field is a physical quantity suitable for this purpose. First a perturbative approach to calculating this shape is developed and applied to several physical models of a ground-state dressed atom. The next step is to consider virtual clouds which are out of equilibrium and examine their time development. This leads to the concept of half-dressed sources, which are discussed in a different physical context both in the absence and in the presence of real photons. In particular the role of the virtual cloud in ensuring causality of the field propagating in dressing and undressing processes is emphasized. Finally, the nature of the virtual cloud is further discussed in the light of theories concerning the dynamics of an atomic pair, the quantum theory of measurement and the effects of a driving electromagnetic field.

Cold-Atom-Induced Control of an Optomechanical Device

We consider a cavity with a vibrating end mirror and coupled to a Bose-Einstein condensate. The cavity field mediates the interplay between mirror and collective oscillations of the atomic density. We study the implications of this dynamics and the possibility of an indirect diagnostic. Our predictions can be observed in a realistic setup that is central to the current quest for mesoscopic quantumness.

Extraction of singlet states from noninteracting high-dimensional spins.

We present a scheme for the extraction of singlet states of two remote particles of arbitrary quantum spin number. The goal is achieved through post-selection of the state of interaction mediators sent in succession. A small number of iterations is sufficient to make the scheme effective. We propose two suitable experimental setups where the protocol can be implemented.

Entanglement dynamics and relaxation in a few-qubit system interacting with random collisions

The dynamics of a single qubit interacting by a sequence of pairwise collisions with an environment consisting of just two more qubits is analyzed. Each collision is modeled in terms of a random unitary operator with a uniform probability distribution described by the uniform Haar measure. We show that the purity of the system qubit as well as the bipartite and the tripartite entanglement reach time-averaged equilibrium values characterized by large instantaneous fluctuations. These equilibrium values are independent of the order of collision among the qubits. The relaxation to equilibrium is analyzed also in terms of an ensemble average of random collision histories. Such average allows for a quantitative evaluation and interpretation of the decay constants. Furthermore a dependence of the transient dynamics on the initial degree of entanglement between the environment qubits is shown to exist. Finally the statistical properties of bipartite and tripartite entanglement are analyzed.

Landauer’s Principle in Multipartite Open Quantum System Dynamics

We investigate the link between information and thermodynamics embodied by Landauers principle in the open dynamics of a multipartite quantum system. Such irreversible dynamics is described in terms of a collisional model with a finite temperature reservoir. We demonstrate that Landauers principle holds, for such a configuration, in a form that involves the flow of heat dissipated into the environment and the rate of change of the entropy of the system. Quite remarkably, such a principle for heat and entropy power can be explicitly linked to the rate of creation of correlations among the elements of the multipartite system and, in turn, the non-Markovian nature of their reduced evolution. Such features are illustrated in two exemplary cases.

Transitionless quantum driving in open quantum systems

We extend the concept of superadiabatic dynamics, or transitionless quantum driving, to quantum open systems whose evolution is governed by a master equation in the Lindblad form. We provide the general framework needed to determine the control strategy required to achieve superadiabaticity. We apply our formalism to two examples consisting of a two-level system coupled to environments with time-dependent bath operators.We extend the concept of superadiabatic dynamics, or transitionless quantum driving, to quantum open systems whose evolution is governed by a master equation in the Lindblad form. We provide the general framework needed to determine the control strategy required to achieve superadiabaticity. We apply our formalism to two examples consisting of a two-level system coupled to environments with time-dependent bath operators.