1998/11/03 by I. L. Egusquiza, Inigo L. Egusquiza, Luis J. Garay +2 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum many-body systems #gr-qc #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.59.3236
published as Phys.Rev. A59 (1999) 3236-3240 · RevTeX 3.01, 6 pages
arxiv created 1998/11/03 · openalex publication_date 1999/05/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We characterize good clocks, which are naturally subject to fluctuations, in statistical terms. We also obtain the master equation that governs the evolution of quantum systems according to these clocks and find its general solution. This master equation is diffusive and produces loss of coherence. Moreover, real clocks can be described in terms of effective interactions that are nonlocal in time. Alternatively, they can be modeled by an effective thermal bath coupled to the system.