Population transfer via a finite temperature state

TL;DR

This paper investigates how finite temperature impacts quantum population transfer through an intermediate state, analyzing both discrete and continuum cases, and proposes a numerical method for open quantum system dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of finite temperature effects on quantum population transfer in multi-level systems and adapts a matrix product states algorithm for continuum cases.

Findings

Finite temperature significantly reduces transfer efficiency.

Strong coupling or longer pulses mitigate temperature effects.

The adapted algorithm effectively simulates open quantum systems.

Abstract

We study quantum population transfer via a common intermediate state initially in thermal equilibrium with a finite temperature $T$, exhibiting a multi-level Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage structure. We consider two situations for the common intermediate state, namely a discrete two-level spin and a bosonic continuum. In both cases we show that the finite temperature strongly affects the efficiency of the population transfer. We also show in the discrete case that strong coupling with the intermediate state, or a longer duration of the controlled pulse would suppress the effect of finite temperature. In the continuous case, we adapt the thermofield-based chain-mapping matrix product states algorithm to study the time evolution of the system plus the continuum under time-dependent controlled pulses, which shows a great potential to be used to solve open quantum system problems in quantum optics.