Decoherence, chaos, and the second law

Wojciech Hubert Zurek and Juan Pablo Paz
Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 2508 – Published 18 April 1994
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Abstract

Quantum wave function of a chaotic system spreads rapidly over distances on which the potential is significantly nonlinear. As a result, the effective force is no longer just a gradient of the potential, and predictions of classical and quantum dynamics begin to differ. We show how the interaction with the environment limits distances over which quantum coherence can persist, and therefore reconciles quantum dynamics with classical Hamiltonian chaos. The entropy production rate for such open chaotic systems exhibits a sharp transition between reversible and dissipative regimes, where it is set by the chaotic dynamics.

  • Received 8 November 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.72.2508

©1994 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Wojciech Hubert Zurek and Juan Pablo Paz

  • Theoretical Astrophysics, T-6, Mail Stop B288, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545

Comments & Replies

Comment on “Decoherence, Chaos, and the Second Law”

Giulio Casati and B. V. Chirikov
Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 350 (1995)

Zurek and Paz Reply:

Wojciech Hubert Zurek and Juan Pablo Paz
Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 351 (1995)

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Vol. 72, Iss. 16 — 18 April 1994

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