paper

Fluctuation-Dissipation Relation for a Quantum Brownian Oscillator in a Parametrically Squeezed Thermal Field

arXiv:2107.13343 · doi:10.1016/j.aop.2021.168594

Abstract

In this paper we study the nonequilibrium evolution of a quantum Brownian oscillator, modeling the internal degree of freedom of a harmonic atom or an Unruh-DeWitt detector, coupled to a nonequilibrium, nonstationary quantum field and inquire whether a fluctuation-dissipation relation can exist after/if it approaches equilibration. This is a nontrivial issue since a squeezed bath field cannot reach equilibration and yet, as this work shows, the system oscillator indeed can, which is a necessary condition for FDRs. We discuss three different settings: A) The bath field essentially remains in a squeezed thermal state throughout, whose squeeze parameter is a mode- and time-independent constant. This situation is often encountered in quantum optics and quantum thermodynamics. B) The field is initially in a thermal state, but subjected to a parametric process leading to mode- and time-dependent squeezing. This scenario is met in cosmology and dynamical Casimir effect. The squeezing in the bath in both types of processes will affect the oscillator's nonequilibrium evolution. We show that at late times it approaches equilibration, which warrants the existence of an FDR. The trait of squeezing is marked by the oscillator's effective equilibrium temperature, and the factor in the FDR is only related to the stationary component of bath's noise kernel. Setting C) is more subtle: A finite system-bath coupling strength can set the oscillator in a squeezed state even the bath field is stationary and does not engage in any parametric process. The squeezing of the system in this case is in general time-dependent but becomes constant when the internal dynamics is fully relaxed. We begin with comments on the broad range of physical processes involving squeezed thermal baths and end with some remarks on the significance of FDRs in capturing the essence of quantum backreaction in nonequilibrium systems.

arXiv comment53 pages, 7 figures

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