Non-Markovianity and Coherence of a Moving Qubit inside a Leaky Cavity

Abstract

Non-Markovian features of a system evolution, stemming from memory effects, may be utilized to transfer, storage, and revive basic quantum properties of the system states. It is well known that an atom qubit undergoes non-Markovian dynamics in high quality cavities. Here we consider the qubit-cavity interaction in the case when the qubit is in motion inside a leaky cavity. We show that, owing to the inhibition of the decay rate, the coherence of the travelling qubit remains closer to its initial value as time goes by compared to that of a qubit at rest. We also demonstrate that quantum coherence is preserved more efficiently for larger qubit velocities. This is true independently of the evolution being Markovian or non-Markovian, albeit the latter condition is more effective at a given value of velocity. We however find that the degree of non-Markovianity is eventually weakened as the qubit velocity increases, despite a better coherence maintenance.