Mixed quantum-classical electrodynamics: Understanding spontaneous decay and zero-point energy
Journal Article
·
· Physical Review A
- Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States). Dept. of Physics; Arizona State Univ., Mesa, AZ (United States). College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States). Photon Ultrafast Laser Science and Engineering Inst. (PULSE), and Dept. of Chemistry
The dynamics of an electronic two-level system coupled to an electromagnetic field are simulated explicitly for one- and three-dimensional systems through semiclassical propagation of the Maxwell-Liouville equations. Here, we consider three flavors of mixed quantum-classical dynamics: (i) the classical path approximation (CPA), (ii) Ehrenfest dynamics, and (iii) symmetrical quasiclassical (SQC) dynamics. Our findings are as follows: (i) The CPA fails to recover a consistent description of spontaneous emission, (ii) a consistent “spontaneous” emission can be obtained from Ehrenfest dynamics, provided that one starts in an electronic superposition state, and (iii) spontaneous emission is always obtained using SQC dynamics. Using the SQC and Ehrenfest frameworks, we further calculate the dynamics following an incoming pulse, but here we find very different responses: SQC and Ehrenfest dynamics deviate sometimes strongly in the calculated rate of decay of the transient excited state. Nevertheless, our work confirms the earlier observations by Miller [J. Chem. Phys. 69, 2188 (1978)] that Ehrenfest dynamics can effectively describe some aspects of spontaneous emission and highlights interesting possibilities for studying light-matter interactions with semiclassical mechanics.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- National Science Foundation (NSF); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 1436986
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1425531
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 97; ISSN PLRAAN; ISSN 2469-9926
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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