Influence Functional Formalism Research Articles

Quantum noise of gravitons and stochastic force on geodesic separation

In this work we consider the effects of gravitons and their fluctuations on the dynamics of two masses using the Feynman-Vernon influence functional formalism, applied earlier to nonequilibrium quantum field theory [Calzetta and Hu, Nonequilibrium Quantum Field Theory (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 2008)] and semiclassical stochastic gravity [Hu and Verdaguer, Semiclassical and Stochastic Gravity: Quantum Field Effects on Curved Spacetime (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 2020)], and most recently, to this problem by Parikh et al., [Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 081602 (2021); Phys. Rev. D 104, 046021 (2021)]. The Hadamard function of the gravitons yields the noise kernel acting as a stochastic tensorial force in a Langevin equation governing the motion of the separation of the two masses. The fluctuations of the separation due to the graviton noise are then solved for various quantum states including the Minkowski vacuum, thermal, coherent and squeezed states. The previous considerations of Parikh et al. are only for some selected modes of the graviton, while in this work we have included all graviton modes and polarizations. We comment on the possibility of detecting these fluctuations in primordial gravitons using interferometors with long baselines in deep space experiments.

Thermal radiation in curved spacetime using influence functional formalism

Generalizing to relativistic exponential scaling and using the theory of noise from quantum fluctuations, it has been shown that one vacuum (Rindler, Hartle-Hawking, or Gibbons-Hawking for the cases of the uniformly accelerated detector, black hole, and de-Sitter universe, respectively) can be understood as resulting from the scaling of quantum noise in another vacuum. We explore this idea more generally to establish a flat spacetime and curved spacetime analogy. For this purpose, we start by examining noise kernels for free fields in some well-known curved spacetimes, e.g., the spacetime of a charged black hole, the spacetime of a Kerr black hole, Schwarzschild-de Sitter, Schwarzschild anti-de Sitter, and Reissner-Nordstrom de-Sitter spacetimes. Here, we consider a maximal analytical extension for all these spacetimes and different vacuum states. We show that the exponential scale transformation is responsible for the thermal nature of radiation.

How to win friends and influence functionals: deducing stochasticity from deterministic dynamics

The longstanding question of how stochastic behaviour arises from deterministic Hamiltonian dynamics is of great importance, and any truly holistic theory must be capable of describing this transition. In this review, we introduce the influence functional formalism in both the quantum and classical regimes. Using this technique, we demonstrate how irreversible behaviour arises generically from the reduced microscopic dynamics of a system-environment amalgam. The influence functional is then used to rigorously derive stochastic equations of motion from a microscopic Hamiltonian. In this method stochastic terms are not identified heuristically, but instead arise from an exact mapping only available in the path-integral formalism. The interpretability of the individual stochastic trajectories arising from the mapping is also discussed. As a consequence of these results, we are also able to show that the proper classical limit of stochastic quantum dynamics corresponds non-trivially to a generalised Langevin equation derived with the classical influence functional. This provides a further unifying link between open quantum systems and their classical equivalent, highlighting the utility of influence functionals and their potential as a tool in both fundamental and applied research.

Generalized Langreth rules

We derive a set of rules for transforming integrals over the time contour met in the theory of nonequilibrium Green's functions (NEGF) into usual integrals over the real and imaginary times for the case when the system's Hamiltonian is different on each track. This situation is encountered, e.g., in the influence functional formalism of the path integrals theory when integrating over all trajectories associated with a part of a system.

Ground state excitation of an atom strongly coupled to a free quantum field

This paper presents a nonperturbative treatment of strong-coupling induced effects in atom-field systems which cannot be seen in traditional perturbative treatments invoking compromising assumptions such as the Born-Markov, rotating wave or Fermi Golden rule. We consider an atom whose internal degrees of freedom are modeled by a harmonic oscillator, bilinearly coupled to a scalar quantum field, representing one of the two polarizations of an electromagnetic field. Because the whole system is Gaussian we can solve this problem exactly. Using the open quantum system conceptual framework and the influence functional formalism we derive the dynamics of the reduced density matrix for the atom which enables the calculation of atomic transition probability and other relevant physical quantities. Finding an exact solution to this problem has the distinct advantage of enabling one to capture fully the strong coupling regime and discover interesting effects such as spontaneous ground state excitation which is unfathomable in perturbative treatments. The conventional description of atomic-optical activities is predicated on the assumption that the state of the total atom-field system is a product state of the atomic excitations and the photon number states, an assumption which is valid only for vanishingly weak coupling. The correct energy eigenfunctions to use should be that of the Hamiltonian of the combined atom-field system. Other features associated with finite to strong coupling effects such as resonance peak broadening and transition from a gapped to a gapless spectrum can all be understood from this perspective. Finally, to put the issues in a proper perspective we take the perturbative limit of the exact results and compare them with those from conventional TDPT. This enables one to pin-point where the deficiencies of TDPT lie as one removes the ultra-weak coupling assumption.

Fluctuation-dissipation and correlation-propagation relations from the nonequilibrium dynamics of detector-quantum field systems

We consider $N$ uniformly-accelerating Unruh-DeWitt detectors whose internal degrees of freedom are coupled to a massless scalar field in $(1+1)$D Minkowski space. We use the influence functional formalism to derive the Langevin equations governing the nonequilibrium dynamics of the internal degrees of freedom and show explicitly that the system relaxes in time and equilibrates. We also show that once the equilibrium condition is established a set of fluctuation-dissipation relations (FDR) and correlation-propagation relations (CPR) emerges for the detectors, extending earlier results of [1] which discovered these relations for the quantum field. Although similar in form to the FDRs commonly known from linear response theory, which assumes an equilibrium condition a priori, their physical connotations are dissimilar from that of a nonequilibrium origin. We show explicitly that both sets of relations are needed to guarantee the balance of energy flow in and out of the system in dynamical equilibrium with the field. These results are helpful to investigations of quantum information and communications of detectors in space experiments and inquiries of theoretical issues in black holes and cosmology.

Fluctuation-dissipation and correlation-propagation relations in (1 + 3)D moving detector-quantum field systems

The fluctuation-dissipation relations (FDR) are powerful relations which can capture the essence of the interplay between a system and its environment. Challenging problems of this nature which FDRs aid in our understanding include the backreaction of quantum field processes like particle creation on the spacetime dynamics in early universe cosmology or quantum black holes. The less familiar, yet equally important correlation-propagation relations (CPR) relate the correlations of stochastic forces on different detectors to the retarded and advanced parts of the radiation propagated in the field. Here, we analyze a system of N uniformly-accelerated Unruh-DeWitt detectors whose internal degrees of freedom (idf) are minimally coupled to a real, massless, scalar field in 4D Minkowski space, extending prior work in 2D with derivative coupling. Using the influence functional formalism, we derive the stochastic equations describing the nonequilibrium dynamics of the idfs. We show after the detector-field dynamics has reached equilibration the existence of the FDR and the CPR for the detectors, which combine to form a generalized fluctuation-dissipation matrix relation. We show explicitly the energy flows between the constituents of the system of detectors and between the system and the quantum field environment. This power balance anchors the generalized FDR. We anticipate this matrix relation to provide a useful guardrail in expounding some basic issues in relativistic quantum information, such as ensuring the self-consistency of the energy balance and tracking the quantum information transfer in the detector-field system.

Hierarchical Schrödinger equations of motion for open quantum dynamics

We rigorously investigate the quantum non-Markovian dissipative dynamics of a system coupled to a harmonic oscillator bath by deriving hierarchical Schrodinger equations of motion (HSEOM) and studying their dynamics. The HSEOM are the equations for wave functions derived on the basis of the Feynman-Vernon influence functional formalism for the density operator, $\langle q|\rho(t)|q' \rangle$, where $\langle q|$ and $|q' \rangle$ are the left- and right-hand elements. The time evolution of $\langle q|$ is computed from time $0$ to $t$, and subsequently, the time evolution of $|q' \rangle$ is computed from time $t$ to $0$ along a contour in the complex time plane. By appropriately choosing functions for the bath correlation function and the spectral density, we can take advantage of an HSEOM method to carry out simulations without the need for a great amount of computational memory. As a demonstration, quantum annealing simulation for a ferromagnetic $p$-spin model is studied.

Quantum and classical dynamics of heavy quarks in a quark-gluon plasma

We derive equations for the time evolution of the reduced density matrix of a collection of heavy quarks and antiquarks immersed in a quark gluon plasma. These equations, in their original form, rely on two approximations: the weak coupling between the heavy quarks and the plasma, the fast response of the plasma to the perturbation caused by the heavy quarks. An additional semi-classical approximation is performed. This allows us to recover results previously obtained for the abelian plasma using the influence functional formalism. In the case of QCD, specific features of the color dynamics make the implementation of the semi-classical approximation more involved. We explore two approximate strategies to solve numerically the resulting equations in the case of a quark-antiquark pair. One involves Langevin equations with additional random color forces, the other treats the transition between the singlet and octet color configurations as collisions in a Boltzmann equation which can be solved with Monte Carlo techniques.

Partition-free approach to open quantum systems in harmonic environments: An exact stochastic Liouville equation

We present a partition-free approach to the evolution of density matrices for open quantum systems coupled to a harmonic environment. The influence functional formalism combined with a two-time Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation allows us to derive a set of exact differential equations for the reduced density matrix of an open system, termed the Extended Stochastic Liouville-von Neumann equation. Our approach generalises previous work based on Caldeira-Leggett models and a partitioned initial density matrix. This provides a simple, yet exact, closed-form description for the evolution of open systems from equilibriated initial conditions. The applicability of this model and the potential for numerical implementations are also discussed.

Hierarchical equations of motion method applied to nonequilibrium heat transport in model molecular junctions: Transient heat current and high-order moments of the current operator

We present a theoretical approach to study nonequilibrium quantum heat transport in molecular junctions described by a spin-boson type model. Based on the Feynman-Vernon path integral influence functional formalism, expressions for the average value and high-order moments of the heat current operators are derived, which are further obtained directly from the auxiliary density operators (ADOs) in the hierarchical equations of motion (HEOM) method. Distribution of the heat current is then derived from the high-order moments. As the HEOM method is nonperturbative and capable of treating non-Markovian system-environment interactions, the method can be applied to various problems of nonequilibrium quantum heat transport beyond the weak coupling regime.

Dissipation equation of motion approach to open quantum systems

This paper presents a comprehensive account of the dissipaton-equation-of-motion (DEOM) theory for open quantum systems. This newly developed theory treats not only the quantum dissipative systems of primary interest, but also the hybrid environment dynamics that are also experimentally measurable. Despite the fact that DEOM recovers the celebrated hierarchical-equations-of-motion (HEOM) formalism, these two approaches have some fundamental differences. To show these differences, we also scrutinize the HEOM construction via its root at the influence functional path integral formalism. We conclude that many unique features of DEOM are beyond the reach of the HEOM framework. The new DEOM approach renders a statistical quasi-particle picture to account for the environment, which can be either bosonic or fermionic. The review covers the DEOM construction, the physical meanings of dynamical variables, the underlying theorems and dissipaton algebra, and recent numerical advancements for efficient DEOM evaluations of various problems. We also address the issue of high-order many-dissipaton truncations with respect to the invariance principle of quantum mechanics of Schrodinger versus Heisenberg prescriptions. DEOM serves as a universal tool for characterizing of stationary and dynamic properties of system-and-bath interferences, as highlighted with its real-time evaluation of both linear and nonlinear current noise spectra of nonequilibrium electronic transport.

Dissipaton equation of motion for system-and-bath interference dynamics

In this review we give a comprehensive account on the dissipaton equation of motion (DEOM) approach to quantum mechanics of open systems. This approach provides a statistical quasi-particle (dissipaton) picture for the environment, as it participates in the correlated system-and-bath dynamics. The underlying dissipaton algebra is de facto established via a close comparison with the celebrated hierarchical equations of motion formalism that is rooted at the Feynman-Vernon influence functional path integral formalism. As a quasi-particle generalization, DEOM identifies unambiguously the physical meanings of all involving dynamical variables as many-dissipaton configurations. It addresses the dynamics of not only systems but also hybridizing bath degrees of freedom. We demonstrate these features of DEOM via its real-time evaluation of the Fano interference of an analytically solvable model system, with the highlight that the statistical quasi-particle picture is ubiquitous, implied even in those commonly used quantum master equations.

On the von Neumann entropy of a bath linearly coupled to a driven quantum system

The change of the von Neumann entropy of a set of harmonic oscillators initially in thermal equilibrium and interacting linearly with an externally driven quantum system is computed by adapting the Feynman–Vernon influence functional formalism. This quantum entropy production has the form of the expectation value of three functionals of the forward and backward paths describing the system history in the Feynman–Vernon theory. In the classical limit of Kramers–Langevin dynamics (Caldeira–Leggett model) these functionals combine to three terms, where the first is the entropy production functional of stochastic thermodynamics, the classical work done by the system on the environment in units of kBT, and the second and the third other functionals which have no analogue in stochastic thermodynamics.

Heavy quark master equations in the Lindblad form at high temperatures

We derive the quantum master equations for heavy quark systems in a high-temperature quark- gluon plasma in the Lindblad form. The master equations are derived in the influence functional formalism for open quantum systems in perturbation theory. These master equations have a wide range of applications, such as decoherence of a heavy quarkonium and Langevin dynamics of a heavy quark in the quark-gluon plasma. We also show the equivalence between the quarkonium master equations in the recoilless limit and the Schroedinger equations with stochastic potential.

Nonequilibrium chiral fluid dynamics including dissipation and noise

We present a consistent theoretical approach for the study of nonequilibrium effects in chiral fluid dynamics within the framework of the linear sigma model with constituent quarks. Treating the quarks as an equilibrated heat bath we use the influence functional formalism to obtain a Langevin equation for the sigma field. This allows us to calculate the explicit form of the damping coefficient and the noise correlators. For a selfconsistent derivation of both the dynamics of the sigma field and the quark fluid we have to employ the 2PI (two-particle irreducible) effective action formalism. The energy dissipation from the field to the fluid is treated in the exact formalism of the 2PI effective action where a conserved energy-momentum tensor can be constructed. We derive its form and comment on approximations generating additional terms in the energy-momentum balance of the entire system.

Thermal fluctuation field for current-induced domain wall motion

Current-induced domain wall motion in magnetic nanowires is affected by thermal fluctuation. In order to account for this effect, the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation includes a thermal fluctuation field and literature often utilizes the fluctuation-dissipation theorem to characterize statistical properties of the thermal fluctuation field. However, the theorem is not applicable to the system under finite current since it is not in equilibrium. To examine the effect of finite current on the thermal fluctuation, we adopt the influence functional formalism developed by Feynman and Vernon, which is known to be a useful tool to analyze effects of dissipation and thermal fluctuation. For this purpose, we construct a quantum-mechanical effective Hamiltonian describing current-induced domain wall motion by generalizing the Caldeira-Leggett description of quantum dissipation. We find that even for the current-induced domain wall motion, the statistical properties of the thermal noise is still described by the fluctuation-dissipation theorem if the current density is sufficiently lower than the intrinsic critical current density and thus the domain wall tilting angle is sufficiently lower than $\ensuremath{\pi}/4$. The relation between our result and a recent result [R. A. Duine, A. S. N\'u\~nez, J. Sinova, and A. H. MacDonald, Phys. Rev. B 75, 214420 (2007)], which also addresses the thermal fluctuation, is discussed. We also find interesting physical meanings of the Gilbert damping $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and the nonadiabaticy parameter $\ensuremath{\beta}$; while $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ characterizes the coupling strength between the magnetization dynamics (the domain wall motion in this paper) and the thermal reservoir (or environment), $\ensuremath{\beta}$ characterizes the coupling strength between the spin current and the thermal reservoir.

Linearized approximations for condensed phase non-adiabatic dynamics: Multi-layered baths and Brownian dynamics implementation

Several approximate methods for propagating the density matrix of systems coupled to baths based on linearized approximations have been presented. Using influence functional formalism this approximation is explored in various limits for a condensed phase model. A new iterative stochastic propagation scheme is introduced that integrates out some of the bath degrees of freedom giving an effective evolution resembling Brownian dynamics. We show that this approach satisfies the fluctuation–dissipation theorem in various limits. The method is compared with alternative approximate full dimensional propagation schemes for the spin-boson model. The accuracy of the results is surprising since the scheme makes approximations about initialization at each iteration. This accuracy is encouraging since these kind of approaches hold significant potential computational saving for condensed phase quantum dynamics simulations as they give a systematic way of eliminating the explicit integration of a large number of environmental degrees of freedom.

Nonperturbative non-Markovian quantum master equation: Validity and limitation to calculate nonlinear response functions

Based on the influence functional formalism, we have derived a nonperturbative equation of motion for a reduced system coupled to a harmonic bath with colored noise in which the system–bath coupling operator does not necessarily commute with the system Hamiltonian. The resultant expression coincides with the time-convolutionless quantum master equation derived from the second-order perturbative approximation, which is also equivalent to a generalized Redfield equation. This agreement occurs because, in the nonperturbative case, the relaxation operators arise from the higher-order system–bath interaction that can be incorporated into the reduced density matrix as the influence operator; while the second-order interaction remains as a relaxation operator in the equation of motion. While the equation describes the exact dynamics of the density matrix beyond weak system–bath interactions, it does not have the capability to calculate nonlinear response functions appropriately. This is because the equation cannot describe memory effects which straddle the external system interactions due to the reduced description of the bath. To illustrate this point, we have calculated the third-order two-dimensional (2D) spectra for a two-level system from the present approach and the hierarchically coupled equations approach that can handle quantal system–bath coherence thanks to its hierarchical formalism. The numerical demonstration clearly indicates the lack of the system–bath correlation in the present formalism as fast dephasing profiles of the 2D spectra.

A derivation of the mixed quantum-classical Liouville equation from the influence functional formalism.

We show that the mixed quantum-classical Liouville equation is equivalent to linearizing the forward-backward action in the influence functional. Derivations are provided in terms of either the diabatic or adiabatic basis sets. An application of the mixed quantum-classical Liouville equation for calculating the memory kernel of the generalized quantum master equation is also presented. The accuracy and computational feasibility of such an approach is demonstrated in the case of a two-level system nonlinearly coupled to an anharmonic bath.