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Franco Fagnola

Publications and source records attributed to Franco Fagnola.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Trace-class spectra of irreducible Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups

We determine the spectrum of the predual generator of an irreducible Gaussian quantum Markov semigroup on the trace-class operators over a finite-mode bosonic Fock space in the stable, strictly unstable, and periodic critical drift regimes. For stable drift, irreducibility is equivalent to the existence of a unique faithful normal invariant state. The spectrum and approximate point spectrum are the closed left half-plane, whereas the point spectrum is the open left half-plane together with zero. Thus the polynomial eigenvalues generated by the drift matrix do not exhaust the trace-class point spectrum. If the drift has an eigenvalue with strictly positive real part, the spectrum is again the closed left half-plane, but the point spectrum is empty and the open left half-plane together with zero belongs to the residual spectrum. For periodic critical drift, we obtain an explicit spectral formula that includes the displacement parameter and yields horizontal half-lines or parabolic regions. The proofs use characteristic functions, Gaussian diffusion semigroups, and bounded eigenoperators of the dual semigroup. The nonperiodic critical drift case remains open.

quant-ph

Irreducibility and regularisation properties of Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups

We study regularisation and irreducibility properties of Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups (GQMSs) acting on continuous-variable quantum systems. We first identify a natural notion of regularity for operators in this setting, which allows us to formulate and characterise the smoothing effects of GQMSs in terms of algebraic conditions involving the drift and quantum diffusion matrices. These conditions establish a connection with the controllability theory of quantum linear systems and with the structure of decoherence-free subsystems. We then characterise irreducibility through several equivalent algebraic criteria: one formulated in terms of the drift and quantum diffusion matrices, one in terms of the operators appearing in the generalised GKLS representation of the generator, and a third given by a quantum analogue of Hörmander's condition. A central and somewhat surprising consequence is that, in contrast with the classical case, irreducibility is strictly stronger than conditions ensuring regularisation. Our results provide an algebraic framework for analysing these properties and lay the groundwork for a broader study of reducible Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups and, more generally, more general relevant quantum Markov semigroups on continuous-variable systems.

quant-ph

Spectral Analysis for Gaussian Quantum Markov Semigroups

Let $(T_t)_{t\geq 0}$ be a Gaussian quantum Markov semigroup with a faithful normal invariant state $ρ$. For every $s\in[0,1]$, the $s$-embedding associated with $ρ$ induces a contraction semigroup $(T_t^{(s)})_{t\geq 0}$ on the Hilbert--Schmidt space $\mathcal B_2(\mathsf h)$; let $L^{(s)}$ denote its generator. Without assuming symmetry or quantum detailed balance, we determine the full spectra of $L^{(s)}$ and $L^{(s)\ast}$: they consist, respectively, of the non-negative integer combinations of the eigenvalues of the phase-space drift matrix and of their complex conjugates. We also diagonalize the self-adjoint closure of $L^{(s)\ast}+L^{(s)}$ and obtain an explicit formula for the spectral gap. Using quantum characteristic functions, we represent $T_t^{(s)}$, up to unitary equivalence, as a complex Gaussian integral operator and prove that its kernel is square-integrable for every $t>0$. Hence $T_t^{(s)}$ is a Hilbert--Schmidt operator on $\mathcal B_2(\mathsf h)$ for every $t>0$, and every induced semigroup is immediately compact. Consequently, $L^{(s)}$ and $L^{(s)\ast}$ have compact resolvent for all $s\in[0,1]$, and their point spectra exhaust their full spectra. These results provide a full quantum counterpart of classical Ornstein--Uhlenbeck spectral theory.

math.FA

Irreducibility of Quantum Markov Semigroups, uniqueness of invariant states and related properties

We present different characterizations of the notion of irreducibility for Quantum Markov Semigroups (QMSs) and investigate its relationship with other relevant features of the dynamics, such as primitivity, positivity improvement and relaxation; in particular, we show that irreducibility, primitivity and relaxation towards a faithful invariant density are equivalent when the semigroup admits an invariant density. Moreover, in the case of uniformly continuous QMSs, we present several useful ways of checking irreducibility in terms of the operators appearing in the generator in GKLS form. Our exposition is as much self-contained as possible, we present some well known results with elementary proofs (collecting all the relevant literature) and we derive new ones. We study both finite and infinite dimensional evolutions and we remark that many results only require the QMS to be made of Schwarz maps.

quant-ph

Quasi-stationary normal states for quantum Markov semigroups

We introduce the notion of Quasi-Stationary State (QSS) in the context of quantum Markov semigroups that generalizes the one of quasi-stationary distribution in the case of classical Markov chains. We provide an operational interpretation of QSSs using the theory of direct and indirect quantum measurements. Moreover, we prove that there is a connection between QSSs and spectral properties of the quantum Markov semigroup. Finally, we discuss some examples which, despite their simplicity, already show interesting features.

quant-ph

The Kossakowski Matrix and Strict Positivity of Markovian Quantum Dynamics

We investigate the relationship between strict positivity of the Kossakowski matrix, irreducibility and positivity improvement properties of Markovian Quantum Dynamics. We show that for a Gaussian quantum dynamical semigroup strict positivity of the Kossakowski matrix implies irreducibility and, with an additional technical assumption, that the support of any initial state is the whole space for any positive time.

quant-ph

The Spectral Gap of a Gaussian Quantum Markovian Generator

Gaussian quantum Markov semigroups are the natural non-commutative extension of classical Ornstein-Uhlenbeck semigroups. They arise in open quantum systems of bosons where canonical non-commuting random variables of positions and momenta come into play. If there exits a faithful invariant density we explicitly compute the optimal exponential convergence rate, namely the spectral gap of the generator, in non-commutative $L^2$ spaces determined by the invariant density showing that the exact value is the lowest eigenvalue of a certain matrix determined by the diffusion and drift matrices. The spectral gap turns out to depend on the non-commutative $L^2$ space considered, whether the one determined by the so-called GNS or KMS multiplication by the square root of the invariant density. In the first case, it is strictly positive if and only if there is the maximum number of linearly independent noises. While, we exhibit explicit examples in which it is strictly positive only with KMS multiplication. We do not assume any symmetry or quantum detailed balance condition with respect to the invariant density.

math.FA

The decoherence-free subalgebra of Gaussian Quantum Markov Semigroups

We demonstrate a method for finding the decoherence-subalgebra $\mathcal{N}(\mathcal{T})$ of a Gaussian quantum Markov semigroup on the von Neumann algebra $\mathcal{B}(Γ(\mathbb{C}^d))$ of all bounded operator on the Fock space $Γ(\mathbb{C}^d)$ on $\mathbb{C}^d$. We show that $\mathcal{N}(\mathcal{T})$ is a type I von Neumann algebra $L^\infty(\mathbb{R}^{d_c};\mathbb{C})\bar{\otimes}\mathcal{B}(Γ(\mathbb{C}^{d_f}))$ determined, up to unitary equivalence, by two natural numbers $d_c,d_f\leq d$. This result is illustrated by some applications and examples.

quant-ph

The Generalized Fibonacci Oscillator as an Open Quantum System

We consider an open quantum system with Hamiltonian $H_S$ whose spectrum is given by a generalized Fibonacci sequence weakly coupled to a Boson reservoir in equilibrium at inverse temperature $β$. We find the generator of the reduced system evolution and explicitly compute the stationary state of the system, that turns out to be unique and faithful, in terms of parameters of the model. If the system Hamiltonian is generic we show that convergence towards the invariant state is exponentially fast and compute explicitly the spectral gap for low temperatures, when quantum features of the system are more significant, under an additional assumption on the spectrum of $H_S$.

quant-ph

Basic properties of a mean field laser equation

We study the non-linear quantum master equation describing a laser under the mean field approximation. The quantum system is formed by a single mode optical cavity and two level atoms, which interact with reservoirs. Namely, we establish the existence and uniqueness of the regular solution to the non-linear operator equation under consideration, as well as we get a probabilistic representation for this solution in terms of a mean field stochastic Schröndiger equation. To this end, we find a regular solution for the non-autonomous linear quantum master equation in Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad form, and we prove the uniqueness of the solution to the non-autonomous linear adjoint quantum master equation in Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad form. Moreover, we obtain rigorously the Maxwell-Bloch equations from the mean field laser equation.

math-ph

Mathematical Models of Markovian Dephasing

We develop a notion of dephasing under the action of a quantum Markov semigroup in terms of convergence of operators to a block-diagonal form determined by irreducible invariant subspaces. If the latter are all one-dimensional, we say the dephasing is maximal. With this definition, we show that a key necessary requirement on the Lindblad generator is bistochasticity, and focus on characterizing whether a maximally dephasing evolution may be described in terms of a unitary dilation with only classical noise, as opposed to a genuine non-commutative Hudson-Parthasarathy dilation. To this end, we make use of a seminal result of Kümmerer and Maassen on the class of commutative dilations of quantum Markov semigroups. In particular, we introduce an intrinsic quantity constructed from the generator, which vanishes if and only if the latter admits a self-adjoint representation and which quantifies the degree of obstruction to having a classical diffusive noise model.

quant-ph

Quadratic Open Quantum Harmonic Oscillator

We study the quantum open system evolution described by a Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad generator with creation and annihilation operators arising in Fock representations of the $sl_2$ Lie algebra. We show that any initial density matrix evolves to a fully supported density matrix and converges towards a unique equilibrium state. We show that the convergence is exponentially fast and we exactly compute the rate for a wide range of parameters. We also discuss the connection with the two-photon absorption and emission process.

math-ph

Structure of Uniformly Continuous Quantum Markov Semigroups

The structure of uniformly continuous quantum Markov semigroups with atomic decoherence-free subalgebra is established providing a naturaldecomposition of a Markovian open quantum system into its noiseless (decoherence-free) and irreducible (ergodic) components. This leads to a new characterisation of the structure of invariant states and a new method for finding decoherence-free subsystems and subspaces. Examples are presented to illustrate these results.

math-ph

Entropy production and detailed balance for a class of quantum Markov semigroups

We give an explicit entropy production formula for a class of quantum Markov semigroups, arising in the weak coupling limit of a system coupled with reservoirs, whose generators $\mathcal{L}$ are sums of other generators $\mathcal{L}_ω$ associated with positive Bohr frequencies $ω$ of the system. As a consequence, we show that any such semigroup satisfies the quantum detailed balance condition with respect to an invariant state if and only if all semigroups generated by each $\mathcal{L}_ω$ so do with respect to the same invariant state.

quant-ph

On the relationship between a quantum Markov semigroup and its representation via linear stochastic Schroedinger equations

A quantum Markov semigroup can be represented via classical diffusion processes solving a stochastic Schrödinger equation. In this paper we first prove that a quantum Markov semigroup is irreducible if and only if classical diffusion processes are total in the Hilbert space of the system. Then we study the relationship between irreducibility of a quantum Markov semigroup and properties of these diffusions such as accessibility, the Lie algebra rank condition, and irreducibility. We prove that all these properties are, in general, weaker than irreducibility of the quantum Markov semigroup, nevertheless, they are equivalent for some important classes of semigroups.

math.PR

Stochastic Schroedinger equations and applications to Ehrenfest-type theorems

We study stochastic evolution equations describing the dynamics of open quantum systems. First, using resolvent approximations, we obtain a sufficient condition for regularity of solutions to linear stochastic Schroedinger equations driven by cylindrical Brownian motions applying to many physical systems. Then, we establish well-posedness and norm conservation property of a wide class of open quantum systems described in position representation. Moreover, we prove Ehrenfest-type theorems that describe the evolution of the mean value of quantum observables in open systems. Finally, we give a new criterion for existence and uniqueness of weak solutions to non-linear stochastic Schroedinger equations. We apply our results to physical systems such as fluctuating ion traps and quantum measurement processes of position.

quant-ph

Entropy Production for Quantum Markov Semigroups

An invariant state of a quantum Markov semigroup is an equilibrium state if it satisfies a quantum detailed balance condition. In this paper, we introduce a notion of entropy production for faithful normal invariant states of a quantum Markov semigroup on B(h) as a numerical index measuring "how much far" they are from equilibrium. The entropy production is defined as the derivative of the relative entropy of the one-step forward and backward evolution in analogy with the classical probabilistic concept. We prove an explicit trace formula expressing the entropy production in terms of the completely positive part of the generator of a norm continuous quantum Markov semigroup showing that it turns out to be zero if and only if a standard quantum detailed balance condition holds.

math-ph

Quantum Fokker-Planck models: the Lindblad and Wigner approaches

In this article we try to bridge the gap between the quantum dynamical semigroup and Wigner function approaches to quantum open systems. In particular we study stationary states and the long time asymptotics for the quantum Fokker-Planck equation. Our new results apply to open quantum systems in a harmonic confinement potential, perturbed by a (large) sub-quadratic term.

math-ph