Emergent dynamics from entangled mixed states

TL;DR

This paper explores how entanglement in mixed quantum states can give rise to emergent dynamical behavior, providing insights into the fundamental nature of time and evolution in quantum mechanics.

Contribution

It investigates the relationship between entanglement and emergent dynamics in mixed states within the timeless quantum framework, an area less explored in prior research.

Findings

Quantitative relations between clock-system entanglement and system evolution

Analysis of mixed states in the timeless quantum dynamics framework

Insights into the role of entanglement in the emergence of time

Abstract

Entanglement is at the core of quantum physics, playing a central role in quantum phenomena involving composite systems. According to the timeless picture of quantum dynamics, entanglement may also be essential for understanding the very origins of dynamical evolution and the flow of time. Within this point of view, the Universe is regarded as a bipartite entity comprising a clock $C$ and a system $R$ (or "rest of the Universe") jointly described by a global stationary state, and the dynamical evolution of $R$ is construed as an emergent phenomena arising from the entanglement between $C$ and $R$. In spite of substantial recent efforts, many aspects of this approach remain unexplored, particularly those involving mixed states. In the present contribution we investigate the timeless picture of quantum dynamics for mixed states of the clock-system composite, focusing on quantitative relations linking the clock-system entanglement with the emerging dynamical evolution experienced by the system.