arXiv subjects

Wei-Min Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Wei-Min Zhang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Dissipative topological systems

Topological phases of matter are protected from local perturbations and therefore have been thought to be robust against decoherence. However, it has not been systematically explored whether and how topological states are dynamically robust against the environment-induced decoherence. In this Letter, we develop a theory for topological systems that incorporate dissipations, noises and thermal effects. We derive novelly the exact master equation and the transient quantum transport for the study of dissipative topological systems, mainly focusing on noninteracting topological insulators and topological superconductors. The resulting exact master equation and the transient transport current are also applicable for the systems initially entangled with environments. We apply the theory to the topological Haldane model (Chern insulator) and the quantized Majorana conductance to explore topological phases of matter that incorporate dissipations, noises and thermal effects, and demonstrate the dissipative dynamics of topological states.

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arXiv2018

Quantum thermodynamics of single particle systems

Classical thermodynamics is built with the concept of equilibrium states. However, it is less clear how equilibrium thermodynamics emerges through the dynamics that follows the principle of quantum mechanics. In this paper, we develop a theory to study the exact nonequilibrium thermodynamics of quantum systems that is applicable to arbitrary small systems, even for single particle systems, in contact with a reservoir. We generalize the concept of temperature into nonequilibrium regime that depends on the detailed dynamics of quantum states. When we apply the theory to the cavity system and the two-level atomic system interacting with a heat reservoir, the exact nonequilibrium theory unravels unambiguously (1) the emergence of classical thermodynamics from quantum dynamics in the weak system-reservoir coupling regime, without introducing equilibrium hypothesis; (2) the breakdown of classical thermodynamics in the strong coupling regime, which is induced by non-Markovian memory dynamics; and (3) the occurrence of dynamical quantum phase transition characterized by inflationary dynamics associated with a negative nonequilibrium temperature, from which the third law of thermodynamics, allocated in the deep quantum realm, is naturally proved. The corresponding dynamical criticality provides the border separating the classical and quantum thermodynamics. The inflationary dynamics may also provide a simple picture for the origin of big bang and universe inflation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Exact Master Equation and General Non-Markovian Dynamics in Open Quantum Systems

Investigations of quantum and mesoscopic thermodynamics force one to answer two fundamental questions associated with the foundations of statistical mechanics: (i) how does macroscopic irreversibility emerge from microscopic reversibility? (ii) how does the system relax in general to thermal equilibrium with its environment? The answers to these questions rely on a deep understanding of nonequilibrium dynamics of systems interacting with their environments. Decoherence is also a main concern in developing quantum information technology. In the past two decades, many theoretical and experimental investigations have devoted to this topic, most of these investigations take the Markov (memory-less) approximation. These investigations have provided a partial understanding to several fundamental issues, such as quantum measurement and the quantum-to-classical transition, etc. However, experimental implementations of nanoscale solid-state quantum information processing makes strong non-Markovian memory effects unavoidable, thus rendering their study a pressing and vital issue. Through the rigorous derivation of the exact master equation and a systematical exploration of various non-Markovian processes for a large class of open quantum systems, we find that decoherence manifests unexpected complexities. We demonstrate these general non-Markovian dynamics manifested in different open quantum systems.

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arXiv2018

Exact master equation and decoherence dynamics of Majorana zero modes under the gate-induced charge fluctuation

In this paper, we derive the exact master equation to investigate the decoherence dynamics of Majorana zero modes in the Kitaev model, a 1D $p\,$-wave spinless topological superconducting chain (TSC), that is disturbed by charge fluctuations through gate controls. The exact master equation is derived by extending Feynman-Vernon influence functional approach to fermionic open systems involving pairing excitations. We obtain the exact master equations for the zero-energy bogoliubon in the TSC, and then transfer it into the master equation for Majorana zero modes. Within this exact master equation formalism, we can describe in detail the non-Markovian decoherence dynamics of zero-energy bogolibons as well as the Majorana zero modes under local perturbations. We find that at zero temperature, there is a zero-energy localized bound state which is not the original zero-energy bogoliubon or the original Majorana zero mode but a localized bound state of Majorana zero mode after the charge fluctuation is taken into account. It is this zero-energy localized bound state that protects Majorana zero modes from decoherence, as a long-time non-Markovain memory effect. However, for the environment at finite temperature, the zero-energy localized bound state cannot be formed when Majorana zero modes are locally perturbed, and decoherence is inevitable.

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arXiv2017

Buildup of Fano resonances in the time domain in a double quantum dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometer

In this paper, we investigate transient quantum transport in a nanoscale Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer consisting of a laterally coupled double quantum dot (DQD) coupled to the source and drain electrodes. The transient linear conductance is derived at finite temperature of the leads, and is divided into three terms contributed from different transport channels. By observing the transient linear conductance and time evolution of the elements of the reduced density matrix of the DQD system, we show the nature of how Fano resonance is built up in the time domain.

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arXiv2017

Manipulating quantum coherence of charge states in interacting double-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometers

We investigate the dynamics of charge--states coherence in a degenerate double--dot Aharonov--Bohm interferometer with finite interdot Coulomb interactions. The quantum coherence of the charge states is found to be sensitive to the transport setup configurations, involving both the single--electron impurity channels and the Coulomb--assisted ones. We numerically demonstrate the emergence of a complete coherence between the two charge states, with the relative phase being continuously controllable through the magnetic flux. Remarkably, a fully coherent charge qubit arises at the double--dots electron pair tunneling resonance condition, where the chemical potential of one electrode is tuned at the center between a single--electron impurity channel and the related Coulomb--assisted channel. This pure quantum state of charge qubit could be \emph{experimentally located} at the current--voltage characteristic turnover position, where differential conductance sign changes. We further elaborate the underlying mechanism for both the real--time and the stationary charge--states coherences in the double--dot systems of study.

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arXiv2016

Master equation approach to transient quantum transport in nanostructures

In this review article, we present a non-equilibrium quantum transport theory for transient electron dynamics in nanodevices based on exact master equation derived with the path integral method in the fermion coherent-state representation. Applying the exact master equation to nanodevices, we also establish the connection of the reduced density matrix and the transient quantum transport current with the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green functions. The theory enables us to study transient quantum transport in nanostructures with back-reaction effects from the contacts, with non-Markovian dissipation and decoherence being fully taken into account. In applications, we utilize the theory to specific quantum transport systems, a variety of quantum decoherence and quantum transport phenomena involving the non-Markovian memory effect are investigated in both transient and stationary scenarios at arbitrary initial temperatures of the contacts.

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arXiv2016

Exact homogeneous master equation for open quantum systems incorporating initial correlations

We show that the exact master equation incorporating initial correlations for open quantum systems, within the Nakajima-Zwanzig operator-projection method, is a homegenous master equation for the reduced density matrix. We also derive explicitly the exact master equation for a large class of bosonic and fermionic open quantum systems incorporating initial correlations, the resulting master equation is homogenous. We find that the effects of the initial correlations can be fully embedded into the fluctuation dynamics through the exact homogenous master equation. Also a generalized nonequilibrium fluctuation-dissipation theorem incorporating the initial correlations is obtained.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Non-equilibrium quantum phase transition via entanglement decoherence dynamics

We investigate the decoherence dynamics of continuous variable entanglement as the system-environment coupling strength varies from the weak-coupling to the strong-coupling regimes. Due to the existence of localized modes in the strong-coupling regime, the system cannot approach equilibrium with its environment, which induces a nonequilibrium quantum phase transition. We analytically solve the entanglement decoherence dynamics for an arbitrary spectral density. The nonequilibrium quantum phase transition is demonstrated as the system-environment coupling strength varies for all the Ohmic-type spectral densities. The 3-D entanglement quantum phase diagram is obtained.

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arXiv2016

Nonequilibrium transient dynamics of photon statistics

We investigate the transient dynamics of photon statistics through two-time correlation functions for optical fields. We find that the transient correlations at different time t yield a smooth transition from antibunching to bunching photon statistics in the weak system-environment coupling regime. In the strong-coupling regime, the two-time correlations exhibit bunching-antibunching oscillations that persists both in the transient process and in the steady-state limit. The photon bunching-antibunching oscillations is a manifestation of strong non-Markovian dynamics, where the system remains in nonequilibrium from its environment. We also find that the antibunching to bunching transition in the weak-coupling regime and the bunching-antibunching oscillation in the strong-coupling regime are strongly influenced by the initial environment temperature.

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arXiv2016

Quantum coherence of the molecular states and their corresponding currents in nanoscale Aharonov-Bohm interferometers

By considering a nanoscale Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer containing a parrallel-coupled double dot coupled to the source and drain electrodes, we investigate the AB phase oscillations of transport current via the bonding and antibonding state channels. The results we obtained justify the experimental analysis given in [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{106}, 076801 (2011)] that bonding state currents in different energy configurations are almost the same. On the other hand, we extend the analysis to the transient transport current components flowing through different channels, to explore the effect of the parity of bonding and antibonding states on the AB phase dependence of the corresponding current components in the transient regime. The relations of the AB phase dependence between the quantum states and the associated current components are analyzed in details, which provides useful information for the reconstruction of quantum states through the measurement of the transport current in such systems. With the coherent properties in the quantum dot states as well as in the transport currents, we also provide a way to manipulate the bonding and antibonding states by the AB magnetic flux.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Transient probing of the symmetry and the asymmetry of electron interference

The transient processes of electron transport in nano-scale devices exhibit special phenomena that exist only in the transient regime. Besides how fast the steady states are approached, one interesting aspect of transient transport arises from its strong dependence on the initial state of the system. Here we address the issue of how the symmetries embedded in the initial state interplay with those of the system structure in the course of transient transports. We explicitly explore the transient currents arising from various initial occupations in a double-quantum-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometer. We find symmetry relations between the transient in-tunneling and out-tunneling dynamics for initially empty or full quantum dots when the energy levels in the electrodes are symmetrically distributed with respect to the energy levels in the QDs. This is true for whatever applied fluxes. We also find the flux-even components of the currents and the flux-odd components of the currents exhibit distinct cross-lead symmetric relations.

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arXiv2015

The short-time and long-time behaviors of non-Markovianity measure using two-time correlation functions in open quantum systems

We investigate non-Markovianity measure using two-time correlation functions for open quantum systems. We define non-Markovianity measure as the difference between the exact two-time correlation function and the one obtained in the Markov limit. Such non-Markovianity measure can easily be measured in experiments. We found that the non-Markovianity dynamics in different time scale crucially depends on the system-environment coupling strength and other physical parameters such as the initial temperature of the environment and the initial state of the system. In particular, we obtain the short-time and long-time behaviors of non-Markovianity for different spectral densities. We also find that the thermal fluctuation always reduce the non-Markovian memory effect. Also, the non-Markovianity measure shows non-trivial initial state dependence in different time scales.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Master equation approach to transient quantum transport incorporating with initial correlations

In this paper, the exact transient quantum transport of non-interacting nanostructures is investigated in the presence of initial system-lead correlations and initial lead-lead correlations for a device system coupled to general electronic leads. The exact master equation incorporating with initial correlations is derived through the extended quantum Langevin equation. The effects of the initial correlations are manifested through the time-dependent fluctuations contained explicitly in the exact master equation. The transient transport current incorporating with initial correlations is obtained from the exact master equation. The resulting transient transport current can be expressed in terms of the single-particle propagating and correlation Green functions of the device system. We show that the initial correlations can affect quantum transport not only in the transient regime, but also in the steady-state limit when system-lead couplings are strong enough so that electron localized bound states occur in the device system.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Reply to the Comment on "General Non-Markovian Dynamics of Open Quantum System"

This is the reply to the 2nd version of the comment, [arXiv.1312.5286v2], by McCutcheon {\it et al.} on our paper [PRL 109, 170402 (2012)]. Our letter presents three examples. For the steady-state solution of the first example, i.e., the dissipationless part of Eq.(12) in the PRL, the 2nd version of the Comment claimed that "this [dissipationless] regime exists if and only if the total Hamiltonian is unbounded from below, casting serious doubts on the usefulness of this result." In this reply, we show again that the 2nd version of the Comment is also incorrect.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

General analytical solution to exact fermion master equation

The exact fermion master equation previously obtained in [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{78}, 235311 (2008); New J. Phys. \textbf{12}, 083013 (2010)] describes the dynamics of quantum states of a principal system of fermionic particles under the influences of external fermion reservoirs (e.g. nanoelectronic systems). Here, we present the general solution to this exact fermion master equation. The solution is analytically expressed in the most intuitive particle number representation. It is applicable to an arbitrary number of orbitals in the principal system prepared at arbitrary initial states. We demonstrate the usefulness of such general solution with the transient dynamics of nanostructured artificial molecules. We show how various initial states can lead to distinct transient dynamics, manifesting a multitude of underlying transition pathways.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Exact decoherence dynamics of $1/f$ noise

In this paper, we investigate the exact decoherence dynamics of a superconducting resonator coupled to an electromagnetic reservoir characterized by the $1/f$ noise at finite temperature, where a full quantum description of the environment with $1/f^{x}$ noise (with $x \approx 1$) is presented. The exact master equation and the associated non-equilibrium Green's functions are solved exactly for such an open system. We show a clear signal of non-Markovian dynamics induced purely by $1/f$ noise. Our analysis is also applicable to another nano/micro mechanical oscillators. Finally, we demonstrate the non-Markovian decoherence dynamics of photon number superposition states using Wigner distribution that could be measured in experiments.

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arXiv2014

Real-time dynamics of spin-dependent transport through a double-quantum-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometer with spin-orbit interaction

The spin-resolved non-equilibrium real-time electron transport through a double-quantum-dot (DQD) Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer with spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is explored. The SOI and AB interference in the real-time dynamics of spin transport is expressed by effective magnetic fluxes. Analytical formulae for the time-dependent currents, for initially unpolarized spins, are presented. In many cases, there appear spin currents in the electrodes, for which the spins in each electrode are polarized along characteristic directions, pre-determined by the SOI parameters and by the geometry of the system. Special choices of the system parameters yield steady-state currents in which the spins are fully polarized along these characteristic directions. The time required to reach this steady state depends on the couplings of the DQD to the leads. The magnitudes of the currents depend strongly on the SOI-induced effective fluxes. Without the magnetic flux, the spin-polarized current cannot be sustained to the steady states, due to the phase rigidity for this system. For a non-degenerate DQD, transient spin transport can be produced by the sole effects of SOI. We also show that one can extract the spin-resolved currents from measurements of the total charge current.

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