Temperature crossover of decoherence rates in chaotic and regular bath dynamics

TL;DR

This study investigates how chaotic versus regular bath dynamics influence quantum decoherence of a diatomic molecule, revealing a temperature-dependent crossover in decoherence rates that supports a conjecture about chaotic effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates a temperature crossover in decoherence rates between chaotic and integrable baths, providing new insights into the role of bath dynamics in quantum decoherence.

Findings

Integrable baths cause more decoherence at low temperatures.

Chaotic baths induce more decoherence at high temperatures.

Results support Wilkie's conjecture on chaotic dynamics and decoherence.

Abstract

The effect of chaotic bath dynamics on the decoherence of a quantum system is examined for the vibrational degrees of freedom of a diatomic molecule in a realistic, constant temperature collisional bath. As an example, the specific case of I$_2$ in liquid xenon is examined as a function of temperature, and the results compared with an integrable xenon bath. A crossover in behavior is found: the integrable bath induces more decoherence at low bath temperatures than does the chaotic bath, whereas the opposite is the case at the higher bath temperatures. These results, verifying a conjecture due to Wilkie, shed light on the differing views of the effect of chaotic dynamics on system decoherence.