Non-Markovian open quantum dynamics from dissipative few-level systems to quantum thermal machines

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dissertation.pdf (7.47 MB)

Date

2020-02-07

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Dissertation

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.18725/OPARU-25227

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Abstract

This cumulative thesis presents new advances in the field of non-Markovian dynamics of open quantum systems based on the formally exact and non-perturbative stochastic Liouville-von Neumann (SLN) framework. More specifically, it presents a general platform to dynamically describe the complete, out-of-equilibrium operation of quantum thermal devices in all temperature and damping ranges and for arbitrary driving frequencies or strengths. Such an approach is urgently required due to the current experimental progress with realizations based on trapped ions, NV-centers in diamond, or superconducting circuits. By providing a comprehensive picture of a quantum Otto engine, the relevance of the thermal coupling work is revealed, an ingredient in the energy balance which has been basically neglected so far and which becomes increasingly relevant in the quantum regime. The thesis further solves crucial issues in dealing with numerical complexity that is inherent to the probabilistic SLN approach in the paradigmatic case of discrete few-level systems in contact with an Ohmic environment. It provides numerically exact benchmark data which is needed to generalize a related, numerically efficient technique for heat transport across open quantum chains to nonlinear systems that show rectification.

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Faculties

Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften

Institutions

Institut für Komplexe Quantensysteme
Institut für Quantenphysik

Citation

DFG Project uulm

Keywords

Open quantum systems & decoherence, Quantum thermodynamics, Monte Carlo methods, Quantum heat engines & refrigerators, Nonequilibrium systems, Non-Markovian processes, Tunneling & traversal time, Heat transfer, Monte-Carlo-Simulation, Quantum sytems, Statistical methods, Nonequilibrium thermodynamics, Tunneling (Physics), Heat, Transmission, DDC 530 / Physics, DDC 620 / Engineering & allied operations