Quantum Synchronization in Nonconservative Electrical Circuits with Kirchhoff-Heisenberg Equations

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum framework for electrical circuits with nonconservative elements, introducing Kirchhoff-Heisenberg equations that unify classical and quantum circuit laws, and validates the approach through three circuit examples.

Contribution

It introduces Kirchhoff-Heisenberg equations as a quantum analogue of classical circuit laws, providing a new method to analyze nonconservative quantum electrical circuits.

Findings

Kirchhoff-Heisenberg equations unify classical and quantum circuit descriptions.

The framework applies to circuits with nonlinear and realistic elements.

Singular circuits can be analyzed using auxiliary elements and then simplified.

Abstract

We investigate quantum synchronization phenomena in electrical circuits that incorporate specifically designed nonconservative elements. A dissipative theory of classical and quantized electrical circuits is developed based on the Rayleigh dissipation function. The introduction of this framework enables the formulation of a generalized version of classical Poisson brackets, which are termed Poisson-Rayleigh brackets. By using these brackets, we are able to derive the equations of motion for a given circuit. Remarkably, these equations are found to correspond to Kirchhoff's current laws when Kirchhoff's voltage laws are employed to impose topological constraints, and vice versa. In the quantum setting, the equations of motion are referred to as the Kirchhoff-Heisenberg equations, as they represent Kirchhoff's laws within the Heisenberg picture. These Kirchhoff-Heisenberg equations, serving as the native equations for an electrical circuit, can be used in place of the more abstract master equations in Lindblad form. To validate our theoretical framework, we examine three distinct circuits. The first circuit consists of two resonators coupled via a nonconservative element. The second circuit extends the first to incorporate weakly nonlinear resonators, such as transmons. Lastly, we investigate a circuit involving two resonators connected through an inductor in series with a resistor. This last circuit, which incidentally represents a realistic implementation, allows for the study of a singular system, where the absence of a coordinate leads to an ill-defined system of Hamilton's equations. To analyze such a pathological circuit, we introduce the concept of auxiliary circuit element. After resolving the singularity, we demonstrate that this element can be effectively eliminated at the conclusion of the analysis, recuperating the original circuit.