Quantum regression theorem for multi-time correlators: A detailed analysis in the Heisenberg picture

Abstract

The quantum regression theorem is one of the central results in open quantum systems and is extensively used for computing multi-point correlation functions. Traditionally it is derived for two-time correlators in the Markovian limit employing the Schr\"odinger picture. In this paper we make use of the Heisenberg picture to derive the quantum regression theorems for multi-time correlation functions, which in the special limit reduce to the well-known two-time regression theorem. For the multi-time correlation function we find that the regression theorem takes the same form as it takes for the two-time correlation function with a mild restriction that one of the times should be greater than all other time variables. Interestingly, the Heisenberg picture also allows us to derive an analog of regression theorem for out-of-time-ordered correlators. We further extend our study for the case of non-Markovian dynamics and report the modifications to the standard quantum regression theorem. We illustrate all of the above results using the paradigmatic dissipative spin-boson model.