Mechanisms in Environmentally-Assisted One-photon Phase Control

TL;DR

This paper investigates how environment-assisted quantum effects, including entanglement and non-Markovian dynamics, enable one-photon phase control, highlighting conditions for its observation and the role of quantum coherence.

Contribution

It provides an analytical and numerical analysis of environment-assisted one-photon phase control, emphasizing the importance of non-Markovian dynamics and initial coherences.

Findings

Non-Markovian dynamics enhance phase control.

Moderate system-bath coupling is beneficial.

Initial quantum coherences are crucial for control.

Abstract

The ability of an environment to assist in one-photon phase control relies upon entanglement between the system and bath and on the breaking of the time reversal symmetry. Here, one photon phase control is examined analytically and numerically in a model system, allowing an analysis of the relative strength of these contributions. Further, the significant role of non-Markovian dynamics and of moderate system-bath coupling in enhancing one-photon phase control is demonstrated, and an explicit role for quantum mechanics is noted in the existence of initial non-zero stationary coherences. Finally, desirable conditions are shown to be required to observe such environmentally assisted control, since the system will naturally equilibrate with its environment at longer times, ultimately resulting in the loss of phase control.