Mixing-induced quantum non-Markovianity and information flow

TL;DR

This paper explores how mixing dynamical maps in open quantum systems can induce non-Markovian behavior, clarifying its relation to information flow and system-environment correlations, and aligning it with existing theories of memory effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates that mixing-induced non-Markovianity is consistent with current theories and can be understood through quantum state distinguishability and information exchange.

Findings

Mixing maps can induce non-Markovian dynamics in quantum systems.

Non-Markovianity from mixing aligns with information flow and memory effects.

The approach clarifies the interpretation of non-Markovianity in quantum processes.

Abstract

Mixing dynamical maps describing open quantum systems can lead from Markovian to non-Markovian processes. Being surprising and counter-intuitive, this result has been used as argument against characterization of non-Markovianity in terms of information exchange. Here, we demonstrate that, quite the contrary, mixing can be understood in a natural way which is fully consistent with existing theories of memory effects. In particular, we show how mixing-induced non-Markovianity can be interpreted in terms of the distinguishability of quantum states, system-environment correlations and the information flow between system and environment.