Quantum dynamics at finite temperature: Time-dependent quantum Monte Carlo study

TL;DR

This paper introduces a time-dependent quantum Monte Carlo method to study finite-temperature quantum dynamics of interacting particles, providing a promising alternative to path-integral techniques for real-time dissipative simulations.

Contribution

The paper develops and demonstrates a self-consistent TDQMC approach for finite-temperature quantum dynamics, including both imaginary and real-time propagation.

Findings

Successfully models dissipative quantum dynamics at finite temperature.

Converges to finite temperature ground states for system and bath.

Offers a promising alternative to path-integral methods for real-time simulations.

Abstract

In this work we investigate the ground state and the dissipative quantum dynamics of interacting charged particles in an external potential at finite temperature. The recently devised time-dependent quantum Monte Carlo (TDQMC) method allows a self-consistent treatment of the system of particles together with bath oscillators first for imaginary-time propagation of Schroedinger type of equations where both the system and the bath converge to their finite temperature ground state, and next for real time calculation where the dissipative dynamics is demonstrated. In that context the application of TDQMC appears as promising alternative to the path-integral related techniques where the real time propagation can be a challenge.