Master equation approach for non-Hermitian quadratic Hamiltonians: Original and phase space formulations

Abstract

We consider evolution of dynamical systems described by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, using the density operator approach. The latter is formulated both at the level of the Hilbert space and the phase space, and adapted for applications to open quantum systems. We illustrate the formalism using a family of non-Hermitian system, which generators are quadratic with respect to both momentum and position. Despite the initial simplicity of a Hamiltonian, the structure of its solutions and spectral characteristics are nontrivial, and they can drastically change depending on parameters of the model and its symmetry in phase space. We present analytical solutions in L2(ℝ) and in phase space, and an explicit form of the similarity transformation changing these generators into the corresponding normal operators.