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Phys. Rev. A 69, 052115 (2004) [14 pages]

Convolutionless Non-Markovian master equations and quantum trajectories: Brownian motion

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Walter T. Strunz1,* and Ting Yu2,†
1Theoretische Quantendynamik, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 3, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
2Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
and Department of Physics, Queen Mary College, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom

Received 11 December 2003; published 24 May 2004

Stochastic Schrödinger equations for quantum trajectories offer an alternative and sometimes superior approach to the study of open quantum system dynamics. Here we show that recently established convolutionless non-Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations may serve as a powerful tool for the derivation of convolutionless master equations for non-Markovian open quantum systems. The most interesting example is quantum Brownian motion (QBM) of a harmonic oscillator coupled to a heat bath of oscillators, one of the most employed exactly soluble models of open system dynamics. We show explicitly how to establish the direct connection between the exact convolutionless master equation of QBM and the corresponding convolutionless exact stochastic Schrödinger equation.

© 2004 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.69.052115
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevA.69.052115
PACS:
03.65.Yz, 05.40.Jc, 42.50.Lc

*Electronic address: walter.strunz@physik.uni-freburg.de

Electronic address: ting@pas.rochester.edu