One-dimensional continuous-time quantum Markov chains: qubit probabilities and measures

Abstract

Quantum Markov chains (QMCs) are positive maps on a trace-class space describing open quantum dynamics on graphs. Such objects have a statistical resemblance with classical random walks, while at the same time they allow for internal (quantum) degrees of freedom. In this work we study continuous-time QMCs on the integer line, half-line and finite segments, so that we are able to obtain exact probability calculations in terms of the associated matrix-valued orthogonal polynomials and measures. The methods employed here are applicable to a wide range of settings, but we will restrict ourselves to classes of examples for which the Lindblad generators are induced by a single positive map, and such that the Stieltjes transforms of the measures and their inverses can be calculated explicitly.