Application of a time-convolutionless stochastic Schrodinger equation to energy transport and thermal relaxation

作者：Biele R^*; Timm C; D' Agosta R

来源：Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter , 2014, 26(39): 395303.

DOI：10.1088/0953-8984/26/39/395303

• thermal relaxation
• stochastic processes
• spin thermal transport
• statistical mechanics

Quantum stochastic methods based on effective wave functions form a framework for investigating the generally non-Markovian dynamics of a quantum-mechanical system coupled to a bath. They promise to be computationally superior to the master-equation approach, which is numerically expensive for large dimensions of the Hilbert space. Here, we numerically investigate the suitability of a known stochastic Schrodinger equation that is local in time to give a description of thermal relaxation and energy transport. This stochastic Schrodinger equation can be solved with a moderate numerical cost, indeed comparable to that of a Markovian system, and reproduces the dynamics of a system evolving according to a general non-Markovian master equation. After verifying that it describes thermal relaxation correctly, we apply it for the first time to the energy transport in a spin chain. We also discuss a portable algorithm for the generation of the coloured noise associated with the numerical solution of the non-Markovian dynamics.

• 出版日期2014-10-1