On the weak-coupling limit and complete positivity

We consider two non-interacting systems embedded in a heat bath. If they remain dynamically independent, physical inconsistencies are avoided only if the single-system reduced dynamics is completely positive also beyond the weak-coupling limit.Comment: 11 pages, plain-Te

Quantum Fluctuation Relations for the Lindblad Master Equation

An open quantum system interacting with its environment can be modeled under suitable assumptions as a Markov process, described by a Lindblad master equation. In this work, we derive a general set of fluctuation relations for systems governed by a Lindblad equation. These identities provide quantum versions of Jarzynski-Hatano-Sasa and Crooks relations. In the linear response regime, these fluctuation relations yield a fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) valid for a stationary state arbitrarily far from equilibrium. For a closed system, this FDT reduces to the celebrated Callen-Welton-Kubo formula

Dissipation and θ 13 in neutrino oscillations

We obtain a complete survival and transition probability involving three neutrino flavors when dissipation effects in vacuum are taken into consideration. In an approach that presents decoherence and relaxation effects, we study the behavior of the probabilities obtained from complete positivity constraints. Making the von Neumann entropy increase in time, many cases can be obtained and studied with the Lindblad master equation with addition of only one or two parameters related to dissipation. New possibilities are obtained when we take into account two decoherence parameters with different magnitudes which are given by reactor and accelerator neutrino oscillation experiments. We also present a model with only one parameter that has an important symmetry property, which can be used when the effective matter potential is important. Furthermore, the dissipation effects can contribute to the appearance of neutrinos that can hide or imitate the θ 13 effects and we study these possibilities showing that dissipative effects have an important role in three-neutrino oscillations