Action scales for quantum decoherence and their relation to structures in phase space
- Departamento de Fisica Fundamental y Experimental, Electronica y Sistemas, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna 38203, Tenerife (Spain)
- Departamento de Fisica Fundamental II, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna 38203, Tenerife (Spain)
A characteristic action {delta}S is defined whose magnitude determines some properties of the expectation value of a general quantum displacement operator. These properties are related to the capability of a given environmental ''monitoring'' system to induce decoherence in quantum systems coupled to it. We show that the scale for effective decoherence is given by {delta}S{approx_equal}({Dirac_h}/2{pi}). We relate this characteristic action with a complementary quantity, {delta}Z, and analyze their connection with the main features of the pattern of structures developed by the environmental state in different phase space representations. The relevance of the {delta}S-action scale is illustrated using both a model quantum system solved numerically and a set of model quantum systems for which analytical expressions for the time-averaged expectation value of the displacement operator are obtained explicitly.
- OSTI ID:
- 20641106
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 69, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.69.052111; (c) 2004 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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