arXiv subjects

Ronnie Kosloff

Publications and source records attributed to Ronnie Kosloff.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Inertial Theorem: Overcoming the quantum adiabatic limit

We present a new theorem describing stable solutions for a driven quantum system. The theorem, coined `inertial theorem', is applicable for fast driving, provided the acceleration rate is small. The theorem states that in the inertial limit eigenoperators of the propagator remain invariant throughout the dynamics, accumulating dynamical and geometric phases. The proof of the theorem utilizes the structure of Liouville space and a closed Lie algebra of operators. We demonstrate applications of the theorem by studying three explicit solutions of a harmonic oscillator, a two-level and three-level system models. These examples demonstrate that the inertial solution is superior to that obtained with the adiabatic approximation. Inertial protocols can be combined to generate a new family of solutions. The inertial theorem is then employed to extend the validity of the Markovian Master equation to strongly driven open quantum systems. In addition, we explore the consequence of new geometric phases associated with the driving parameters.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Open system dynamics from thermodynamic compatibility

Thermodynamics entails a set of mathematical conditions on quantum Markovian dynamics. In particular, strict energy conservation between the system and environment implies that the dissipative dynamical map commutes with the unitary system propagator. Employing spectral analysis we prove the general form of the ensuing master equation. We compare this result to master equations obtained from standard microscopic derivations. The obtained formal structure can be employed to test the compatibility of approximate derivations with thermodynamics. For example, it designates that global master equations are the compatible choice. The axiomatic approach sheds light on the validity of the secular approximation in microscopic derivations, the form of the steady state in heat transport phenomena, and indicates the lack of exceptional points in the dynamics of open quantum systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Quantum finite-time thermodynamics: insight from a single qubit engine

Incorporating time into thermodynamics allows addressing the tradeoff between efficiency and power. A qubit engine serves as a toy model to study this tradeoff from first principles, based on the quantum theory of open systems. We study the quantum origin of irreversibility, originating from heat transport, quantum friction and thermalization in the presence of external driving. We construct various finite-time engine cycles based on the Otto and Carnot templates. Our analysis highlights the role of coherence and the quantum origin of entropy production.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Dissociation in strong field: a quantum analysis of the relation between angular momentum and angular distribution of fragments

An ab initio simulation of strong-field photodissociation of diatomic molecules was developed, inspired by recent dissociation experiments of F2-. The transition between electronic states was modeled, including the laser pulse and transition dipole, and the angle between them. The initial conditions of the system were set to be thermal and to include different rovibrational states. Carefully designed absorbing boundary conditions were applied to describe the boundary conditions of the experiment. We studied the influence of field intensity on the direction of the outcoming fragments and laboratory-fixed axis, defined by the field polarization. At high intensities, the angular distribution became more peaked with a marginal influence on kinetic energy release.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Optimization of high-order harmonic generation by optimal control theory: Ascending a functional landscape in extreme conditions

A theoretical optimization method of high-harmonic-generation (HHG) is developed in the framework of optimal-control-theory (OCT). The target of optimization is the emission radiation of a particular frequency. The OCT formulation includes restrictions on the frequency band of the driving pulse, the permanent ionization probability and the total energy of the driving pulse. The optimization task requires a highly accurate simulation of the dynamics. Absorbing boundary conditions are employed, where a complex-absorbing-potential is constructed by an optimization scheme for maximization of the absorption. A new highly accurate propagation scheme is employed, which can address explicit time dependence of the driving as well as a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. The optimization process is performed by a second-order gradient scheme. The method is applied to a simple one-dimensional model system. The results demonstrate a significant enhancement of selected harmonics, with minimized total energy of the driving pulse and controlled permanent ionization probability. A successful enhancement of an even harmonic emission is also demonstrated.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Fast Route to Thermalization

We present a control scheme for quantum systems coupled to a thermal bath. We demonstrate state-to-state control between two Gibbs states. This scheme can be used to accelerate thermalization and cool the open system. Starting from a microscopic description, we derive the reduced system dynamics, leading to a non-adiabatic master equation. The equation contains non-trivial effects due to the non-adiabatic driving and bath interaction. These special features enable controlling the open system and accelerating the entropy changes. For a two-level system model, we obtain a general solution and introduce a reverse-engineering scheme for control. The control problem is analyzed in the context of the theory of quantum control and the accompanying thermodynamic cost.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Quantum Signatures in the Quantum Carnot Cycle

The Carnot cycle combines reversible isothermal and adiabatic strokes to obtain optimal efficiency, at the expense of a vanishing power output. Quantum Carnot-analog cycles are constructed and solved, operating irreversibly at non-vanishing power. Swift thermalization is obtained in the isotherms utilizing a shortcut to equilibrium protocols and the adiabats employ frictionless unitary shortcuts. The working medium in this study is composed of a particle in a driven harmonic trap. For this system, we solve the dynamics employing a generalized canonical state. Such a description incorporates both changes in energy and coherence. This allows comparing three types of Carnot-analog cycles, Carnot-shortcut, Endo-shortcut and Endo-global. The Carnot-shortcut engine demonstrates the trade-off between power and efficiency. It posses a maximum in power, a minimum cycle time where it becomes a dissipator and for a diverging cycle time approaches the ideal Carnot efficiency. The irreversibility of the cycle arises from non-adiabatic driving, which generates coherence. To study the role of coherence we compare the performance of the shortcut cycles, where coherence is limited to the interior of the strokes, with the Endo-global cycle where the coherence never vanishes. The Endo-global engine exhibits a quantum signature at a short cycle-time, manifested by a positive power output while the shortcut cycles become dissipators. If energy is monitored the back action of the measurement causes dephasing and the power terminates.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Landauer's Principle in a Quantum Szilard Engine Without Maxwell's Demon

Quantum Szilard engine constitutes an adequate interplay of thermodynamics, information theory and quantum mechanics. Szilard engines are in general operated by a Maxwell's Demon where Landauer's principle resolves the apparent paradoxes. Here we propose a Szilard engine setup without featuring an explicit Maxwell's demon. In a demonless Szilard engine, the acquisition of which-side information is not required, but erasure and the related heat dissipation still take place implicitly by the very nature of the work extraction process. We see that the insertion of the partition in a quantum Szilard engine does not localize the particle to one side, instead it creates a superposition state of the particle being in both sides. To be able to extract work from the system, particle has to be localized at one side. The localization occurs as a result of quantum measurement on the particle, which shows the importance of the measurement process regardless of whether one uses the acquired information or not. In accordance with the Landauer's principle, localization by quantum measurement corresponds to a logically irreversible operation and for this reason it has to be accompanied by the corresponding heat dissipation. This shows the validity of the Landauer's principle even in quantum Szilard engines without Maxwell's demon. Furthermore, we take quantum confinement effects fully into account to analyze the Szilard cycle in the quantum regime thoroughly and obtain highly accurate analytical expressions for work and heat exchanges. Our results show that Landauer's principle holds the key role to understand the thermodynamics of the localization of the particle by quantum measurement, which explicitly saves the second law in demonless engines and shows that quantum-mechanical considerations are essential to reconcile thermodynamics and information theory.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Quantifying the Unitary Generation of Coherence From Thermal Quantum Systems

The unitary generation of coherence from an incoherent thermal state is investigated. We consider a completely controllable Hamiltonian allowing to generate all possible unitary transformations. Optimizing the unitary control to achieve maximum coherence leads to a micro-canonical energy distribution on the diagonal energy representation. We demonstrate such a control scenario starting from a Hamiltonian utilizing optimal control theory for unitary targets. Generating coherence from an incoherent initial state always costs external work. By constraining the amount of work invested by the control, maximum coherence leads to a canonical energy population distribution. When the optimization procedure constrains the final energy too tightly local suboptimal traps are found. The global optimum is obtained when a small Lagrange multiplier is employed to constrain the final energy. Finally, we explore constraining the generated coherence to be close to the diagonal in the energy representation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Shortcut to Equilibration of an Open Quantum System

We present a procedure to accelerate the relaxation of an open quantum system towards its equilibrium state. The control protocol, termed Shortcut to Equilibration, is obtained by reverse-engineering the non-adiabatic master equation. This is a non-unitary control task aimed at rapidly changing the entropy of the system. Such a protocol serves as a shortcut to an abrupt change in the Hamiltonian, i.e., a quench. As an example, we study the thermalization of a particle in a harmonic well. We observe that for short protocols there is a three orders of magnitude improvement in accuracy.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Time Dependent Markovian Quantum Master Equation

We construct a quantum Markovian Master equation for a driven system coupled to a thermal bath. The derivation utilizes an explicit solution of the propagator of the driven system. This enables the validity of the Master equation to be extended beyond the adiabatic limit. The Non-Adiabatic Master Equation (NAME) is derived employing the weak system-bath coupling limit. The NAME is valid when a separation of timescales exists between the bath dynamics and the external driving. In contrast to the adiabatic Master equation, the NAME leads to coupled equations of motion for the population and coherence. We employ the NAME to solve the example of an open driven time-dependent harmonic oscillator. For the harmonic oscillator the NAME predicts the emergence of coherence associated with the dissipation term. As a result of the non-adiabatic driving the thermalization rate is suppressed. The solution is compared with both numerical calculations and the adiabatic Master equation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Introduction to Quantum Thermodynamics: History and Prospects

Quantum Thermodynamics is a continuous dialogue between two independent theories: Thermodynamics and Quantum Mechanics. Whenever the two theories addressed the same phenomena new insight has emerged. We follow the dialogue from equilibrium Quantum Thermodynamics and the notion of entropy and entropy inequalities which are the base of the II-law. Dynamical considerations lead to non-equilibrium thermodynamics of quantum Open Systems. The central part played by completely positive maps is discussed leading to the Gorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan GKLS equation. We address the connection to thermodynamics through the system-bath weak-coupling-limit WCL leading to dynamical versions of the I-law. The dialogue has developed through the analysis of quantum engines and refrigerators. Reciprocating and continuous engines are discussed. The autonomous quantum absorption refrigerator is employed to illustrate the III-law. Finally, we describe some open questions and perspectives.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Stochastic laser cooling enabled by many body effects

A novel laser cooling mechanism based on many body effects is presented. The method can be applicable for cooling a large class of atoms and molecules in higher density than commonly excepted by existing methods. The cooling mechanism relies on the collective encounters of particle and light. Stochastic events between the particles and photons as well as a collective effect give rise to energy transfer between these media. Such mechanism relies on multiple light-matter encounters, therefore requiring a sufficient particle density, $ρ\sim 10^{14} \text{cm}^{-3}$. This is an advantage for experiments where high phase space density is required. A second tuning laser can be added increasing the applicability to many types of atoms and molecules. This tuning laser changes the inter-particle potential by inducing an AC stark effect. As a result the required trapping density can be reduced down to $ρ\sim 10^6 \text{cm}^{-3}$. Simulations of phase space distributions were performed comparing different particle densities, trap potentials and light field intensity profiles. The modelling shows efficient cooling rates up to $~10^{2} \text{K/s}$ for a dense ensemble of $~^{87}$Rb atoms, and cooling rates up to $~6\cdot 10^{2} \text{K/s}$ when adding an additional tuning source.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2018

Quantum heat engines: limit cycles and exceptional points

We show that the inability of a quantum Otto cycle to reach a limit cycle is connected with the propagator of the cycle being non-compact. For a working fluid consisting of quantum harmonic oscillators, the transition point in parameter space where this instability occurs is associated with a non-hermitian degeneracy (exceptional point) of the eigenvalues of the propagator. In particular, a third-order exceptional point is observed at the transition from the region where the eigenvalues are complex numbers to the region where all the eigenvalues are real. Within this region we find another exceptional point, this time of second order, at which the trajectory becomes divergent. The onset of the divergent behavior corresponds to the modulus of one of the eigenvalues becoming larger than one. The physical origin of this phenomenon is that the hot and cold heat baths are unable to dissipate the frictional internal heat generated in the adiabatic strokes of the cycle. This behavior is contrasted with that of quantum spins as working fluid which have a compact Hamiltonian and thus no exceptional points. All arguments are rigorously proved in terms of the systems' associated Lie algebras.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Action-Noise-Assisted Quantum Control

We study the effect of action noise on state-to-state control protocols. Action noise creates dephasing in the instantaneous eigenbasis of the Hamiltonian and hampers the fidelity of the final state with respect to the target state. We find that for shorter protocols the noise more strongly influences the dynamics and degrades fidelity. We suggest improving the fidelity by inducing stronger dephasing rates along the process. The effects of action noise on the dynamics and its manipulation is described for a general Hamiltonian and is then studied by examples.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Markovian heat sources with the smallest heat capacity

Thermal Markovian dynamics is typically obtained by coupling a system to a sufficiently hot bath with a large heat capacity. Here we present a scheme for inducing Markovian dynamics using an arbitrarily small and cold heat bath. The scheme is based on injecting phase noise to the small bath. Several unique signatures of small bath are studied. We discuss realizations in ion traps and superconducting qubits and show that it is possible to create an ideal setting where the system dynamics is indifferent to the internal bath dynamics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Semi-global approach for propagation of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for time-dependent and nonlinear problems

A detailed exposition of highly efficient and accurate method for the propagation of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation is presented. The method is readily generalized to solve an arbitrary set of ODE's. The propagation is based on a global approach, in which large time-intervals are treated as a whole, replacing the local considerations of the common propagators. The new method is suitable for various classes of problems, including problems with a time-dependent Hamiltonian, nonlinear problems, non-Hermitian problems and problems with an inhomogeneous source term. In this paper, a thorough presentation of the basic principles of the propagator is given. We give also a special emphasis on the details of the numerical implementation of the method. For the first time, we present the application for a non-Hermitian problem by a numerical example of a one-dimensional atom under the influence of an intense laser field. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated by a comparison with the common Runge-Kutta approach.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

An atom interferometer with a shaken optical lattice

We introduce shaken lattice interferometry with atoms trapped in a one-dimensional optical lattice. By phase modulating (shaking) the lattice, we control the momentum state of the atoms. Through a sequence of shaking functions, the atoms undergo an interferometer sequence of splitting, propagation, reflection, reverse propagation, and recombination. Each shaking function in the sequence is optimized with a genetic algorithm to achieve the desired momentum state transitions. As with conventional atom interferometers, the sensitivity of the shaken lattice interferometer increases with interrogation time. The shaken lattice interferometer may also be optimized to sense signals of interest while rejecting others, such as the measurement of an AC inertial signal in the presence of an unwanted DC signal.

quant-ph↗