Non-Markovian master equations from entanglement with stationary unobserved degrees of freedom
arXiv:quant-ph/0412020 · doi:10.1088/0305-4470/38/42/006
Abstract
We deduce a class of non-Markovian completely positive master equations which describe a system in a composite bipartite environment, consisting of a Markovian reservoir and additional stationary unobserved degrees of freedom that modulate the dissipative coupling. The entanglement-induced memory effects can persist for arbitrary long times and affect the relaxation to equilibrium, as well as induce corrections to the quantum-regression theorem. By considering the extra degrees of freedom as a discrete manifold of energy levels, strong non-exponential behavior can arise, as for example power law and stretched exponential decays.
8 pages, extensively revised and expanded, changed title, to appear in J Phys A