Dynamics and stationarity of two coupled arbitrary oscillators interacting with separate reservoirs

TL;DR

This paper derives the time-dependent density matrix for two coupled quantum oscillators interacting with separate reservoirs, analyzing their relaxation to stationary states and comparing these with fluctuation dissipation theorem predictions.

Contribution

It provides a general analytical framework for the dynamics and stationarity of coupled quantum oscillators with arbitrary properties and reservoir interactions.

Findings

Stationary variances and covariances are achieved in the long-time limit.

Deviations from FDT decrease with larger differences in masses and eigenfrequencies.

Strong coupling leads to divergence of variances and covariances.

Abstract

This work addresses the problem of relaxation of open systems to quasi-equilibrium states. Time-dependent density matrix of two arbitrary coupled quantum oscillators of arbitrary properties interacting with separate reservoirs is derived based on path integration. Temporal dynamics of spatial variances and covariances of the oscillators from any given time up to quasi-equilibrium steady states is studied. It is demonstrated for general case that asymptotic spatial variances of two arbitrary oscillators and their covariances achieve stationary values in the long-time limit. A comparison of steady state characteristics of coupled oscillators with those predicted by the fluctuation dissipation theorem (FDT) is performed. It is shown that the larger the difference in masses and eigenfrequencies of coupled oscillators, the smaller are the deviations of stationary variances from those given by the FDT at fixed coupling strength and fixed difference in temperatures between thermal baths. In framework of the model of the bilinear interaction and Ohmic dissipation and at any oscillators parameters the variances and covariances have divergent character at strong couplings.