Mediated Homogenization

Homogenization protocols model the quantum mechanical evolution of a system to a fixed state independently from its initial configuration by repeatedly coupling it with a collection of identical ancillas. Here we analyze these protocols within the formalism of "relaxing" channels providing an easy to check sufficient condition for homogenization. In this context we describe mediated homogenization schemes where a network of connected qudits relaxes to a fixed state by only partially interacting with a bath. We also study configurations which allow us to introduce entanglement among the elements of the network. Finally we analyze the effect of having competitive configurations with two different baths and we prove the convergence to dynamical equilibrium for Heisenberg chains.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Kraus representation in the presence of initial correlations

We examine the validity of the Kraus representation in the presence of initial correlations and show that it is assured only when a joint dynamics is locally unitary.Comment: REVTeX4, 12 page

Dynamics of open quantum systems initially entangled with environment: Beyond the Kraus representation

We present a general analysis of the role of initial correlations between the open system and an environment on quantum dynamics of the open system.Comment: 5 revtex pages, no figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

On the Assumption of Initial Factorization in the Master Equation for Weakly Coupled Systems I: General Framework

We analyze the dynamics of a quantum mechanical system in interaction with a reservoir when the initial state is not factorized. In the weak-coupling (van Hove) limit, the dynamics can be properly described in terms of a master equation, but a consistent application of Nakajima-Zwanzig's projection method requires that the reference (not necessarily equilibrium) state of the reservoir be endowed with the mixing property.Comment: 33 page

On the Assumption of Initial Factorization in the Master Equation for Weakly Coupled Systems II: Solvable Models

We analyze some solvable models of a quantum mechanical system in interaction with a reservoir when the initial state is not factorized. We apply Nakajima-Zwanzig's projection method by choosing a reference state of the reservoir endowed with the mixing property. In van Hove's limit, the dynamics is described in terms of a master equation. We observe that Markovianity becomes a valid approximation for timescales that depend both on the form factors of the interaction and on the observables of the reservoir that can be measured.Comment: 25 page

Thermalizing Quantum Machines: Dissipation and Entanglement

We study the relaxation of a quantum system towards the thermal equilibrium using tools developed within the context of quantum information theory. We consider a model in which the system is a qubit, and reaches equilibrium after several successive two-qubit interactions (thermalizing machines) with qubits of a reservoir. We characterize completely the family of thermalizing machines. The model shows a tight link between dissipation, fluctuations, and the maximal entanglement that can be generated by the machines. The interplay of quantum and classical information processes that give rise to practical irreversibility is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Detection of multipartite entanglement with two-body correlations

We show how to detect entanglement with criteria built from simple two-body correlation terms. Since many natural Hamiltonians are sums of such correlation terms, our ideas can be used to detect entanglement by energy measurement. Our criteria can straightforwardly be applied for detecting different forms of multipartite entanglement in familiar spin models in thermal equilibrium.Comment: 5 pages including 2 figures, LaTeX; for the proceedings of the DPG spring meeting, Berlin, March 200

Diluting quantum information: An analysis of information transfer in system-reservoir interactions

We design a universal quantum homogenizer, which is a quantum machine that takes as an input a system qubit initially in the state rho and a set of N reservoir qubits initially prepared in the same state xi. In the homogenizer the system qubit sequentially interacts with the reservoir qubits via the partial swap transformation. The homogenizer realizes, in the limit sense, the transformation such that at the output each qubit is in an arbitrarily small neighborhood of the state xi irrespective of the initial states of the system and the reservoir qubits. This means that the system qubit undergoes an evolution that has a fixed point, which is the reservoir state xi. We also study approximate homogenization when the reservoir is composed of a finite set of identically prepared qubits. The homogenizer allows us to understand various aspects of the dynamics of open systems interacting with environments in nonequilibrium states. In particular, the reversibility vs irreversibility of the dynamics of the open system is directly linked to specific (classical) information about the order in which the reservoir qubits interacted with the system qubit. This aspect of the homogenizer leads to a model of a quantum safe with a classical combination. We analyze in detail how entanglement between the reservoir and the system is created during the process of quantum homogenization. We show that the information about the initial state of the system qubit is stored in the entanglement between the homogenized qubits