Dissipative quantum dynamics of fermions in optical lattices: a slave-spin approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces a slave-spin method to analyze the short-time dissipative dynamics of interacting fermions in optical lattices, revealing effects like slowed decoherence and sustained coherence in steady states.

Contribution

A novel slave-spin approach for studying dissipative fermionic systems, applied to experimental relevant couplings, with validation against other methods and models.

Findings

Decoherence slows with increased interaction or dissipation (Zeno effect).

Steady states can retain single-particle coherence under certain couplings.

Method provides insights into short-time dissipative quantum dynamics.

Abstract

We investigate the influence of a Markovian environment on the dynamics of interacting spinful fermionic atoms in a lattice. In order to explore the physical phenomena occurring at short times, we develop a method based on a slave-spin representation of fermions which is amenable to the investigation of the dynamics of dissipative systems. We apply this approach to two different dissipative couplings which can occur in current experiments: a coupling via the local density and a coupling via the local double occupancy. We complement our study based on this novel method with results obtained using the adiabatic elimination technique and with an exact study of a two-site model. We uncover that the decoherence is slowed down by increasing either the interaction strength or the dissipative coupling (the Zeno effect). We also find, for the coupling to the local double occupancy, that the final steady state can sustain single-particle coherence.