Decoherence of quantum Markov semigroups (Q2485316)

This paper presents a probabilistic interpretation of decoherence based on the reduction of a quantum Markov semigroup \({\mathcal T}\) on an operator algebra \({\mathcal A}\) to a classical Markov semigroup on an abelian subalgebra of \({\mathcal A}\) which is \({\mathcal T}\)-invariant. The author determines several conditions on the generator \({\mathcal L}\) of \({\mathcal T}\) for the existence of invariant abelian subalgebra. When \({\mathcal A}\) is the algebra of all bounded operator on a Hilbert space \(h\), he investigates decoherence as a limit behaviour, namely vanishing of the off-diagonal terms \(\langle e_m,{\mathcal T}_{*t}(\rho) e_n\rangle\) (\({\mathcal T}_{*}\) is the predual semigroup), in a given basis, of the evolution \({\mathcal T}_{*t}(\rho)\) at time \(t\) of a density matrix \(\rho\) applying results on the asymptotic behavior of \({\mathcal T}\) [J. Math. Phys. 42, No. 3, 1296--1308 (2001; Zbl 1013.81031), J. Math. Phys. 43, No. 2, 1074--1082 (2002; Zbl 1059.47049), Stochastic analysis and mathematical physics II. 4th international ANESTOC workshop in Santiago, Chile, January 5--11, 2000. Basel: Birkhäuser. Trends in Mathematics, 77--128 (2003; Zbl 1143.81309)]. Two natural possibilities for decoherence appear: 1) the semigroup has an invariant density matrix which is diagonal in the given basis, 2) \({\mathcal T}_{*t}(\rho)\) converges weakly to \(0\) as \(t\) goes to infinity for any density matrix \(\rho\). The exposition is clear, quite detailed and accompanied by several examples including the damped harmonic oscillator, quantum Brownian motion, the quantum exclusion semigroup.