Bath-assisted transport in a three-site spin chain: Global versus local approach

Abstract

Within the standard weak-coupling limit, the reduced dynamics of open quantum spin chains with their two end spins coupled to two distinct heat baths at different temperatures are mainly derived using the so-called \textit{global} and \textit{local} approaches, in which, respectively, the spin self-interaction is and is not taken into account. In order to compare the differences between the two regimes, we concentrate on an open three-site $XX$ spin-chain, provide systematic techniques to addressing the global and local asymptotic states and then compare the asymptotic spin-transport features by studying the spin flux through the middle site. %we examine the transport properties of an open three-site $XX$ spin-chain. %We analytically derive the exact steady state of the open chain in the global approach and its first order expansion with respect to the self-interaction in the local one. %The steady state transport properties through the middle spin is then studied %in order to compare the physical scenarios associated with the two regimes. %By analytical and numerical means, Basing on the analytical expressions of the stationary states in the two regimes, we find that the local approach misses important global effects emerging as spin sink and source terms that can only be due to non negligible inter-spin interactions. Moreover, we show that the local asympotic transport features cannot be recovered from the global ones by letting the inter-spin coupling vanish thus pointing to the existence of different coupling ranges where only one approach is physically tenable and possibly a region where the two descriptions may coexist.