Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

10:00
Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor
Published on: November 11, 2013
Quantum coherence, evolution of the Wigner function, and transition from quantum to classical dynamics for a chaotic
1L. V. Kirensky Institute of Physics, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Quantum systems lose coherence due to environmental influence, transitioning to classical dynamics. This study derives the decoherence condition for quantum chaotic systems, verified using the standard map model.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Chaos
- Quantum Decoherence
- Quantum-Classical Correspondence
Background:
- Environmental interactions degrade quantum coherence.
- Decoherence can drive quantum systems towards classical behavior.
- Understanding this transition is crucial for quantum mechanics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamics of quantum chaotic systems influenced by an environment.
- To derive the general condition for the transition from quantum to classical dynamics.
- To numerically validate the derived condition using a specific chaotic system.
Main Methods:
- Employed a semiclassical technique to study the decoherence process.
- Analyzed the quantum standard map on a torus as a model chaotic system.
- Performed numerical simulations to verify the theoretical findings.
Main Results:
- Obtained a general condition for the transition from quantum to classical dynamics.
- The condition was successfully verified numerically for the quantum standard map.
- The study provides insights into the mechanism of decoherence in chaotic systems.
Conclusions:
- The environment plays a critical role in the loss of quantum coherence.
- The derived condition accurately describes the quantum-to-classical transition.
- Results contribute to understanding the correspondence between quantum and classical mechanics.
Related Concept Videos
The de Broglie Wavelength
In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom
Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra. Schrödinger...
Entropy Change in Reversible Processes
In the Carnot engine, which achieves the maximum efficiency between two reservoirs of fixed temperatures, the total change in entropy is zero. The observation can be generalized by considering any reversible cyclic process consisting of many Carnot cycles. Thus, it can be stated that the total entropy change of any ideal reversible cycle is zero.
The statement can be further generalized to prove that entropy is a state function. Take a cyclic process between any two points on a p-V diagram.
The statement can be further generalized to prove that entropy is a state function. Take a cyclic process between any two points on a p-V diagram.
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
The second law of thermodynamics can be stated quantitatively using the concept of entropy. Entropy is the measure of disorder of the system.
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
Classical Mechanics
Classical mechanics provides a mathematical description of the motion of bodies under the influence of forces. A key principle within this field is the work-energy theorem, which establishes a bridge between the net work done on an object and its kinetic energy.The work-energy theorem states that the net work done on a particle by all the forces acting on it equals the change in its kinetic energy.In simple terms, the work-energy theorem is a method to analyze the effects of forces on an...
The Entropy as a State Function
Consider an arbitrary process that moves between two specific states (A and B) in a cyclic manner. This process is reversible and broken down into smaller parts that each follow a Carnot cycle. A Carnot cycle has two isothermal (constant temperature) processes. During these processes, the ratio of the amount of heat transferred to their respective temperature remains constant. The other two processes in the Carnot cycle are also reversible but adiabatic, which means they occur without any heat...

