Open quantum systems. Dynamics of nonclassical evolution (Q1626842)

This book aims to give an introduction to open quantum systems, which is a topic of quite some importance since every quantum system is coupled to the environment. The issue of dissipation is discussed in quite some detail, which is one major application of the topic. The book starts with a comprehensive overview on basic quantum mechanics knowledge to refresh the reader's mind and provide the relevant vocabulary. Furthermore, in a separate chapter a variety of master equations is reviewed that are applied here and there throughout the book. Explicitly the Liouville and Langevin equation, the Fokker-Planck equation and the Boltzmann equation. Finally some quantum master equations and projector operator techniques are presented. The main part of the books deals with the dissipative quantum harmonic oscillator and the dissipative two-state system, typical toy models in quantum mechanics with dissipation. Briefly before, the influence functional approach is introduced and applied to quantum Brownian motion. Nicely summarized and generalized to open system is the problem of quantum tunneling, where it stays a bit unclear what the application might be. An example of tunneling in an open quantum system is missing. Finally, the important connection to quantum information is drawn and various examples of open quantum systems in that context discussed. Furthermore some alternative application of open quantum systems are described in the concluding chapter like the Unruh effect which is described by quantum noise, neutrino oscillations in matter which is an interaction with the environment, and meson production and decay which is intrinsically an open system. Although this book is not aimed at expert readers, it is not a textbook either but rather a self-contained review. There are some problems spread throughout the book to stimulate further study but not so many suitable examples where the knowledge can be used. The language appears to be a bit sloppy, the books would definitely profit some more concise formulations.