A comprehensive investigation of the transition dynamics of a level-crossing system with quantum dissipation is carried out for the Landau-Zener model coupled with a system of phonons. Analytical study by the formal perturbation expansion series with respect to the off-diagonal matrix element shows that the transition dynamics is characterized by the competition between the energy fluctuation and the energy dissipation. Closed expressions of the transition rate are derived for various limiting situations in a unified way. In the case of strong decoherence, a formula of the transition rate is obtained, which covers the high-temperature limit and the low-temperature, strong-coupling limit. Numerical calculation by utilizing the damping hyperoperator technique is performed, which clarifies the overall features of the time evolution of the system.

• Received 12 December 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.57.13099