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Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor

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Mesoscopic systems: classical irreversibility and quantum coherence.

Bernard Barbara¹

¹Institut Néel, CNRS, associé à l'Université J. Fourier, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble, France. bernard.barbara@grenoble.cnrs.fr

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences

|August 22, 2012

Summary

Mesoscopic spin systems, like single-molecule magnets, bridge classical and quantum physics. Quantum relaxation in these systems significantly reduces classical irreversibility, offering insights into quantum dynamics and decoherence mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

Condensed-matter physics
Mesoscopic physics
Quantum magnetism

Background:

Mesoscopic physics explores properties of matter between atomic and bulk scales.
Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and rare-earth (RE) ions represent mesoscopic spin systems.
These systems allow tuning between classical and quantum regimes, revealing quantum relaxation's impact on irreversibility.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate quantum relaxation's role in reducing classical irreversibility in mesoscopic spin systems.
To analyze decoherence mechanisms affecting spin dynamics in isolated mesoscopic systems.
To explore the connection between quantum and classical descriptions of spin dynamics and decoherence.

Main Methods:

Utilized the Landau-Zener model and its classical counterpart to study irreversibility origins.
Examined the damping of Rabi oscillations in mesoscopic spin systems (SMMs, RE systems).
Investigated decoherence mechanisms in various quantum systems, including superconducting qubits.

Main Results:

Quantum relaxation was shown to significantly reduce classical irreversibility in mesoscopic spin systems.
Decoherence mechanisms, particularly from electromagnetic baths and two-level systems, were identified.
Non-Markovian channels and 1/f noise were implicated in the decoherence of superconducting qubits.

Conclusions:

Mesoscopic spin systems offer a platform to study the interplay between quantum and classical physics.
Understanding decoherence is crucial for controlling quantum dynamics in these systems.
Classical models can provide intuitive insights into quantum spin dynamics and decoherence phenomena.