Ergodicity in randomly perturbed quantum systems

Year: 2017

Authors: Gherardini S., Lovecchio C., Müller M.M., Lombardi P., Caruso F., Cataliotti F.S.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Florence, QSTAR, LENS, Via G Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Florence, Dept Phys & Astron, Via G Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Florence, CSDC, INFN, Via S Marta 3, I-50139 Florence, Italy; Univ Florence, Dept Informat Engn, Via S Marta 3, I-50139 Florence, Italy; CNR, INO, UOS Sesto Fiorentino, Via N Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.

Abstract: The theoretical cornerstone of statistical mechanics is the ergodic assumption, i.e. the assumption that the time average of an observable equals its ensemble average. Here, we show how such a property is present when an open quantum system is continuously perturbed by an external environment effectively observing the system at random times while the system dynamics approaches the quantum Zeno regime. In this context, by large deviation theory we analytically show how the most probable value of the probability for the system to be in a given state eventually deviates from the non-stochastic case when the Zeno condition is not satisfied. We experimentally test our results with ultra-cold atoms prepared on an atom chip.

Journal/Review: QUANTUM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Volume: 2 (1)      Pages from: 15007-1  to: 15007-9

More Information: We acknowledge fruitful discussions with S Ruffo, S Gupta, and A Smerzi. We thank MSchrambock (Atominstitut, TU-Wien) at the ZMNS (TU-Wien) who realised the atom chip we have used. This work was supported by the Seventh Framework Programme for Research of the European Commission, under the CIG grant QuantumBio Tech, by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), under PRIN Grant No. 2010LLKJBX and FIRB Grant Agreements No. RBFR085XVZ and No. RBFR10M3SB, and by Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze through the project Q-BIOSCAN.
KeyWords: quantum Zeno phenomena; ergodicity; atom chips; stochastic quantum measurements
DOI: 10.1088/2058-9565/aa5d00

Citations: 17
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