On the assumption of initial factorization in the master equation for weakly coupled systems I: General framework

2006/02/28 by S. Tasaki, K. Yuasa, Kazuya Yuasa +10
Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Quantum chaos and dynamical systems #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #quant-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.aop.2006.06.004

published as Ann. Phys. 322 (2007) 631-656 · 33 pages

openalex publication_date 2006/08/11 · arxiv created 2006/08/17 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

We analyze the dynamics of a quantum mechanical system in interaction with a reservoir when the initial state is not factorized. In the weak-coupling (van Hove) limit, the dynamics can be properly described in terms of a master equation, but a consistent application of Nakajima-Zwanzig's projection method requires that the reference (not necessarily equilibrium) state of the reservoir be endowed with the mixing property.

Citations

• Limitations on the utility of exact master equations

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