Quantum thermalization of two coupled two-level systems in eigenstate and bare-state representations

We study analytically the quantum thermalization of two coupled two-level systems (TLSs), which are connected with either two independent heat baths (IHBs) or a common heat bath (CHB). We understand the quantum thermalization in eigenstate and bare-state representations when the coupling between the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics, 2011-05, Vol.83 (5), Article 052110
Main Authors: Liao, Jie-Qiao, Huang, Jin-Feng, Kuang, Le-Man
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
COUPLING
ENERGY
EQUILIBRIUM
HEAT
QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT
SLOWING-DOWN
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM
THERMALIZATION
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Summary:We study analytically the quantum thermalization of two coupled two-level systems (TLSs), which are connected with either two independent heat baths (IHBs) or a common heat bath (CHB). We understand the quantum thermalization in eigenstate and bare-state representations when the coupling between the two TLSs is stronger and weaker than the TLS-bath couplings, respectively. In the IHB case, we find that, when the two IHBs have the same temperatures, the two coupled TLSs in eigenstate representation can be thermalized with the same temperature as those of the IHBs. However, in the case of two IHBs at different temperatures, just when the energy detuning between the two TLSs satisfies a special condition, the two coupled TLSs in eigenstate representation can be thermalized with an immediate temperature between those of the two IHBs. In bare-state representation, we find a counterintuitive phenomenon that, under some conditions, the temperature of the TLS connected with the high-temperature bath is lower than that of the other TLS, which is connected with the low-temperature bath. In the CHB case, the coupled TLSs in eigenstate representation can be thermalized with the same temperature as that of the CHB in nonresonant cases. In bare-state representation, the TLS with a larger energy separation can be thermalized to a thermal equilibrium with a lower temperature. In the resonant case, we find a phenomenon of antithermalization. We also study the steady-state entanglement between the two TLSs in both the IHB and CHB cases.
ISSN:1050-2947
1094-1622
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevA.83.052110