Witnessing the Quantum Mpemba Effect with a Single Observable
arXiv:2607.12163
The paper proposes a method to detect the quantum Mpemba effect in Markovian open quantum systems using a single measurable observable, avoiding full state tomography, and demonstrates it with a qubit under generalized amplitude damping.
Abstract
The Mpemba effect, in which a system farther from equilibrium relaxes faster than one closer to it, defies the intuition of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Here, we introduce a general framework to unambiguously witness this phenomenon based on a single observable defined for Markovian open quantum systems. The Mpemba observable bypasses full state tomography, offering utility for state preparation and thermal task optimization. We illustrate our method using local magnetization as a Mpemba signature, applying it to a qubit under generalized amplitude damping.
5 pages, 3 figures