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Decoherence-induced continuous pointer states.
1Physics Faculty and BiBoS, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|February 7, 2003
Summary
We explored quantum spin systems interacting with phonons, finding a continuous set of pointer states. This offers a new mathematical framework for continuous measurement devices in quantum physics.
Area of Science:
- Quantum mechanics
- Statistical physics
- Condensed matter physics
Background:
- Investigating the dynamics of open quantum systems is crucial for understanding thermalization and measurement.
- Infinite quantum spin systems coupled to external fields present complex theoretical challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the reduced dynamics of an infinite quantum spin system coupled to a phonon field under Markovian approximation.
- To identify and characterize the pointer states emerging from this system's diagonalization.
- To establish a connection between these pointer states and the configuration space of the Ising model.
Main Methods:
- Employing the Markovian approximation to simplify the system's dynamics.
- Performing diagonalization of the system's Hamiltonian.
- Analyzing the resulting continuous family of pointer states.
Main Results:
- The diagonalization revealed a continuous family of pointer states.
- These pointer states correspond to the configuration space of the one-dimensional Ising model.
- The identified pointer states provide a mathematical description for an apparatus capable of continuous readings.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully derived a set of pointer states for a quantum spin-phonon system.
- This work establishes a link between quantum measurement theory and statistical models like the Ising model.
- The findings suggest a potential framework for developing quantum measurement devices with continuous output.