Entanglement and mixedness in open systems with continuous variables*

Abstract

Within the framework of the theory of open systems based on completely positive quantum dynamical semigroups, we give a description of the dynamics of entanglement for a system consisting of two uncoupled modes interacting with a thermal environment. Using the Peres–Simon necessary and sufficient criterion of separability for two-mode Gaussian states, we describe the evolution of entanglement in terms of the covariance matrix for a Gaussian input state. We determine the asymptotic Gaussian maximum entangled mixed states (GMEMS) and their corresponding asymptotic maximum logarithmic negativity, which characterizes the degree of entanglement. Using the symplectic eigenvalues of the asymptotic covariance matrix, we obtain the expressions of von Neumann entropy and mutual information of asymptotic GMEMS.