Normal Heat Conductivity in a strongly pinned chain of anharmonic oscillators

We consider a chain of coupled and strongly pinned anharmonic oscillators subject to a non-equilibrium random forcing. Assuming that the stationary state is approximately Gaussian, we first derive a stationary Boltzmann equation. By localizing the involved resonances, we next invert the linearized collision operator and compute the heat conductivity. In particular, we show that the Gaussian approximation yields a finite conductivity $\kappa\sim\frac{1}{\lambda^2T^2}$, for $\lambda$ the anharmonic coupling strength.Comment: Introduction and conclusion modifie

Non-Markovian generalization of the Lindblad theory of open quantum systems

A systematic approach to the non-Markovian quantum dynamics of open systems is given by the projection operator techniques of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Combining these methods with concepts from quantum information theory and from the theory of positive maps, we derive a class of correlated projection superoperators that take into account in an efficient way statistical correlations between the open system and its environment. The result is used to develop a generalization of the Lindblad theory to the regime of highly non-Markovian quantum processes in structured environments.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, replaced by published versio

A numerical approach to large deviations in continuous-time

We present an algorithm to evaluate the large deviation functions associated to history-dependent observables. Instead of relying on a time discretisation procedure to approximate the dynamics, we provide a direct continuous-time algorithm, valuable for systems with multiple time scales, thus extending the work of Giardin\`a, Kurchan and Peliti (PRL 96, 120603 (2006)). The procedure is supplemented with a thermodynamic-integration scheme, which improves its efficiency. We also show how the method can be used to probe large deviation functions in systems with a dynamical phase transition -- revealed in our context through the appearance of a non-analyticity in the large deviation functions.Comment: Submitted to J. Stat. Mec

Spatial structures and dynamics of kinetically constrained models for glasses

Kob and Andersen's simple lattice models for the dynamics of structural glasses are analyzed. Although the particles have only hard core interactions, the imposed constraint that they cannot move if surrounded by too many others causes slow dynamics. On Bethe lattices a dynamical transition to a partially frozen phase occurs. In finite dimensions there exist rare mobile elements that destroy the transition. At low vacancy density, $v$, the spacing, $\Xi$, between mobile elements diverges exponentially or faster in $1/v$. Within the mobile elements, the dynamics is intrinsically cooperative and the characteristic time scale diverges faster than any power of $1/v$ (although slower than $\Xi$). The tagged-particle diffusion coefficient vanishes roughly as $\Xi^{-d}$.Comment: 4 pages. Accepted for pub. in Phys. Rev. Let

On the decay law for unstable open systems

We use (nonconservative) dynamical semigroups to investigate the decay law of a quantum unstable system weakly coupled with a large environment. We find that the deviations from the classical exponential law are small and can be safely ignored in any actual experiment.Comment: 12 pages, plain-TeX, to appear in Phys. Lett.

Fluctuations of the heat flux of a one-dimensional hard particle gas

Momentum-conserving one-dimensional models are known to exhibit anomalous Fourier's law, with a thermal conductivity varying as a power law of the system size. Here we measure, by numerical simulations, several cumulants of the heat flux of a one-dimensional hard particle gas. We find that the cumulants, like the conductivity, vary as power laws of the system size. Our results also indicate that cumulants higher than the second follow different power laws when one compares the ring geometry at equilibrium and the linear case in contact with two heat baths (at equal or unequal temperatures). keywords: current fluctuations, anomalous Fourier law, hard particle gasComment: 5 figure

Complete positivity and correlated neutral kaons

In relation with experiments on correlated kaons at phi-factories, it is shown that the request of complete positivity is necessary in any physically consistent description of neutral kaons as open quantum systems.Comment: LaTeX, 9 page

Dynamical phase transition for a quantum particle source

We analyze the time evolution describing a quantum source for noninteracting particles, either bosons or fermions. The growth behaviour of the particle number (trace of the density matrix) is investigated, leading to spectral criteria for sublinear or linear growth in the fermionic case, but also establishing the possibility of exponential growth for bosons. We further study the local convergence of the density matrix in the long time limit and prove the semiclassical limit.Comment: 24 pages; In the new version, we added several references concerning open quantum systems and present an extended result on linear particle production in the fermionic cas

Numerical Renormalization Group for Bosonic Systems and Application to the Subohmic Spin-Boson Model

We describe the generalization of Wilson's Numerical Renormalization Group method to quantum impurity models with a bosonic bath, providing a general non-perturbative approach to bosonic impurity models which can access exponentially small energies and temperatures. As an application, we consider the spin-boson model, describing a two-level system coupled to a bosonic bath with power-law spectral density, J(omega) ~ omega^s. We find clear evidence for a line of continuous quantum phase transitions for subohmic bath exponents 0<s<1; the line terminates in the well-known Kosterlitz-Thouless transition at s=1. Contact is made with results from perturbative renormalization group, and various other applications are outlined.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figs, (v2) final version as publishe

Free Energy Functional for Nonequilibrium Systems: An Exactly Solvable Case

We consider the steady state of an open system in which there is a flux of matter between two reservoirs at different chemical potentials. For a large system of size $N$, the probability of any macroscopic density profile $\rho(x)$ is $\exp[-N{\cal F}(\{\rho\})]$; ${\cal F}$ thus generalizes to nonequilibrium systems the notion of free energy density for equilibrium systems. Our exact expression for $\cal F$ is a nonlocal functional of $\rho$, which yields the macroscopically long range correlations in the nonequilibrium steady state previously predicted by fluctuating hydrodynamics and observed experimentally.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX. Changes: correct minor errors, add reference, minor rewriting requested by editors and refere