Quantum dissipation due to the interaction with chaotic degrees-of-freedom and the correspondence principle

TL;DR

This paper investigates how chaotic degrees-of-freedom cause quantum dissipation and explores the transition from classical to quantum behavior in parametrically-driven systems, highlighting the role of a dimensionless velocity in this process.

Contribution

It introduces a framework to analyze the energy spreading and dissipation in chaotic quantum systems driven by slow parameters, identifying regimes and the influence of a key velocity parameter.

Findings

Crossover from ballistic to diffusive energy spreading identified

A dimensionless velocity controls the quantum-classical correspondence

Distinction between perturbative and semiclassical regimes established

Abstract

Both in atomic physics and in mesoscopic physics it is sometimes interesting to consider the energy time-dependence of a parametrically-driven chaotic system. We assume an Hamiltonian ${\cal H}(Q,P;x(t))$ where $x(t)=Vt$. The velocity $V$ is slow in the classical sense but not necessarily in the quantum-mechanical sense. The crossover (in time) from ballistic to diffusive energy-spreading is studied. The associated irreversible growth of the average energy has the meaning of dissipation. It is found that a dimensionless velocity $v_{PR}$ determines the nature of the dynamics, and controls the route towards quantal-classical correspondence (QCC). A perturbative regime and a non-perturbative semiclassical regime are distinguished.