Quantum interference induced by initial system-environment correlations

TL;DR

This paper explores how initial system-environment correlations, specifically the relative phase, influence quantum interference, atomic population dynamics, information flow, and entanglement in a two-level atom system.

Contribution

It demonstrates the significant impact of initial relative phases on quantum dynamics and entanglement, highlighting their role in quantum interference phenomena.

Findings

Initial relative phase affects atomic excited-state evolution.

Initial phase influences information flow between atom and reservoir.

Entanglement dynamics are modulated by initial phase conditions.

Abstract

We investigate the quantum interference induced by a relative phase in the correlated initial state of a system which consists in a two-level atom interacting with a damped mode of the radiation field. We show that the initial relative phase has significant effects on both the evolution of the atomic excited-state population and the information flow between the atom and the reservoir, as quantified by the trace distance. Furthermore, by considering two two-level atoms interacting with a common damped mode of the radiation field, we highlight how initial relative phases can affect the subsequent entanglement dynamics.