Generalised fractional Rabi problem

Abstract

Fractional quantum dynamics provides a natural framework to capture nonlocal temporal behavior and memory effects in quantum systems. In this work, we analyze the physical consequences of fractional-order quantum evolution using a Green's function formulation based on the Caputo fractional derivative. Explicit iterative expressions for the evolved state are derived and applied to an extended two-level Rabi model, a paradigmatic setting for coherent quantum control. We find that even in the absence of external driving, the static Hamiltonian term induces non-trivial spin dynamics with damping features directly linked to the fractional temporal nonlocality. When a periodically varying driving field is introduced, the competition between energy injection and memory effects gives rise to a richer dynamical behavior, manifest in the evolution of spin polarization, autocorrelation function, and fidelity. Unlike the standard Rabi oscillations characterized by a fixed frequency, the fractional regime introduces controllable damping and dephasing governed by the degree of fractionality. These distinctive signatures could be observable through the Loschmidt echo and autocorrelation function, and would offer potential routes to probe fractional quantum dynamics experimentally. Our findings open pathways toward exploring memory-induced dynamical phenomena in other systems effectively described by a two-level approximation, such as graphene-like materials and topological SSH chains, where non-integer order evolution may reveal novel topological or relaxation effects.