On the correspondence principle: implications from a study of the chaotic dynamics of a macroscopic quantum device

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum-to-classical transition in a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) ring, revealing limitations of the traditional correspondence principle and practical constraints on recovering classical chaos from quantum models.

Contribution

It introduces a revised expression of the correspondence principle suitable for SQUID rings and discusses the impact of circuit parameter limitations on classical chaos recovery.

Findings

Standard correspondence principle incompatible with SQUID Hamiltonian

Proposed a more pragmatic, general expression for the principle

Circuit parameter limitations hinder precise classical chaos recovery

Abstract

The recovery of classical chaotic dynamics from quantum systems has long been a subject of interest. Furthermore, recent work indicates that quantum chaos may well be significant in quantum information processing. In this paper we discuss the quantum to classical crossover of a superconducting quantum inference device (SQUID) ring. Such devices comprise of thick superconducting loop enclosing a Josephson weak link. These devices are currently strong candidates for many applications in quantum technologies. The weak link brings with it a non-linearity such that semi-classical models of this system can exhibit chaotic dynamics. For many similar systems an application of the correspondence principle together with the inclusion of environmental degrees of freedom through a quantum trajectories approach can be used to effectively recover classical dynamics. Here we show (i) that the standard expression of the correspondence principle is incompatible with the ring Hamiltonian and we present a more pragmatic and general expression which finds application here and (ii) that practical limitations to circuit parameters of the SQUID ring prevent arbitrarily accurate recovery of classical chaotic dynamics.