Composite quantum systems and environment-induced heating

TL;DR

This paper investigates a heating mechanism in composite quantum systems, especially in trapped ions and similar setups, which limits cooling efficiency and could explain high temperatures in phenomena like sonoluminescence.

Contribution

It highlights a universal heating process in composite quantum systems coupled to different environments, with implications for quantum cooling and high-temperature phenomena.

Findings

Identifies a heating mechanism affecting laser cooling in trapped ions.

Suggests similar heating effects may occur in other quantum systems like sonoluminescence.

Proposes designing systems that emit photons without external driving.

Abstract

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the development of techniques which transfer trapped particles to very low temperatures. Here we focus our attention on a heating mechanism which contributes to the finite temperature limit in laser sideband cooling experiments with trapped ions. It is emphasized that similar heating processes might be present in a variety of composite quantum systems whose components couple individually to different environments. For example, quantum optical heating effects might contribute significantly to the very high temperatures which occur during the collapse phase in sonoluminescence experiments. It might even be possible to design composite quantum systems, like atom-cavity systems, such that they continuously emit photons even in the absence of external driving.