Adiabatic approximation in open quantum systems

Abstract

We generalize the standard quantum adiabatic approximation to the case of open quantum systems. We define the adiabatic limit of an open quantum system as the regime in which its dynamical superoperator can be decomposed in terms of independently evolving Jordan blocks. We then establish validity and invalidity conditions for this approximation and discuss their applicability to superoperators changing slowly in time. As an example, the adiabatic evolution of a two-level open system is analysed.

v4: 13 pages, 1 figure. Published version. v3: Time condition for adiabaticity improved and references updated

References in corpus (2)

• Genuine quantum trajectories for non-Markovian processes
• Geometric phase for an adiabatically evolving open quantum system

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Holonomic quantum computation in decoherence-free subspaces
• Internal Consistency of Fault-Tolerant Quantum Error Correction in Light of Rigorous Derivations of the Quantum Markovian Limit
• Abelian and non-Abelian geometric phases in adiabatic open quantum systems
• The quantum adiabatic search with decoherence in the instantaneous energy eigenbasis