Collision models in open system dynamics: A versatile tool for deeper insights?

TL;DR

Collision models are a flexible and insightful approach for understanding non-Markovian dynamics and thermodynamics in open quantum systems, with broad applicability and recent experimental validation.

Contribution

This paper highlights the versatility of collision models in analyzing complex quantum system-environment interactions and their recent experimental demonstrations.

Findings

Effective in modeling non-Markovian dynamics

Useful for studying quantum thermodynamics

Supported by recent experimental implementations

Abstract

Understanding and simulating how a quantum system interacts and exchanges information or energy with its surroundings is a ubiquitous problem, one which must be carefully addressed in order to establish a coherent framework to describe the dynamics and thermodynamics of quantum systems. Significant effort has been invested in developing various methods for tackling this issue and in this Perspective we focus on one such technique, namely collision models, which have emerged as a remarkably flexible approach. We discuss their application to understanding non-Markovian dynamics and to studying the thermodynamics of quantum systems, two areas in which collision models have proven to be particularly insightful. Their simple structure endows them with extremely broad applicability which has spurred their recent experimental demonstrations. By focusing on these areas, our aim is to provide a succinct entry point to this remarkable framework.