paper

Quantum anti-Zeno effect

arXiv:quant-ph/9708024 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.56.1131

Abstract

Prevention of a quantum system's time evolution by repetitive, frequent measurements of the system's state has been called the quantum Zeno effect (or paradox). Here we investigate theoretically and numerically the effect of repeated measurements on the quantum dynamics of the multilevel systems that exhibit the quantum localization of the classical chaos. The analysis is based on the wave function and Schroedinger equation, without introduction of the density matrix. We show how the quantum Zeno effect in simple few-level systems can be recovered and understood by formal modeling the measurement effect on the dynamics by randomizing the phases of the measured states. Further the similar analysis is extended to investigate of the dynamics of multilevel systems driven by an intense external force and affected by frequent measurement. We show that frequent measurements of such quantum systems results in the delocalization of the quantum suppression of the classical chaos. This result is the opposite of the quantum Zeno effect. The phenomenon of delocalization of the quantum suppression and restoration of the classical-like time evolution of these quasiclassical systems, owing to repetitive frequent measurements, can therefore be called the 'quantum anti-Zeno effect'. From this analysis we furthermore conclude that frequently or continuously observable quasiclassical systems evolve basically in a classical manner.

12 pages with 2 figures

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