Thermalisation of Quantum States

Abstract

An exact stochastic model for the thermalisation of quantum states is proposed. The model has various physically appealing properties. The dynamics are characterised by an underlying Schrodinger evolution, together with a nonlinear term driving the system towards an asymptotic equilibrium state and a stochastic term reflecting fluctuations. There are two free parameters, one of which can be identified with the heat bath temperature, while the other determines the characteristic time scale for thermalisation. Exact expressions are derived for the evolutionary dynamics of the system energy, the system entropy, and the associated density operator.

8 pages, minor corrections. To appear in JMP

References in corpus (2)

• Radial distribution function of semiflexible polymers
• Statistical Geometry in Quantum Mechanics

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Geometric Quantum Mechanics
• Mixed-state evolution in the presence of gain and loss
• Thermodynamics of Quantum Heat Bath
• Cliffordons
• Information Content for Quantum States
• Hamiltonian statistical mechanics
• Entanglement Induced Phase Transitions
• A density tensor hierarchy for open system dynamics: retrieving the noise
• Random Hamiltonian in thermal equilibrium