Tuning energy transport using interacting vibrational modes

TL;DR

This paper investigates how strong interactions between vibrational modes in a quantum oscillator chain affect energy transport, relaxation dynamics, and steady state properties, revealing new time scales and limit-dependent behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a combined analytical and numerical approach to study the impact of anharmonic interactions on quantum energy transport, highlighting the significance of limit order effects.

Findings

Strong interactions slow down relaxation dynamics.

Steady state properties depend on the order of limits taken.

Emergence of a new time scale in relaxation processes.

Abstract

We study energy transport in a chain of quantum harmonic and anharmonic oscillators where the anharmonicity is induced by interaction between local vibrational states of the chain. Using adiabatic elimination and numerical simulations with matrix product states, we show how strong interactions significantly slow down the relaxation dynamics (with the emergence of a new time scale) and can alter the properties of the steady state. We also show that steady state properties are completely different depending on the order in which the limits of infinite time and infinite interaction are taken.