Quantum Reversibility: Is there an Echo?

Moritz Hiller, Tsampikos Kottos, Doron Cohen, and Theo Geisel
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 010402 – Published 9 January 2004

Abstract

We study the possibility to undo the quantum mechanical evolution in a time reversal experiment. The naive expectation, as reflected in the common terminology (“Loschmidt echo”), is that maximum compensation results if the reversed dynamics extends to the same time as the forward evolution. We challenge this belief and demonstrate that the time tr for maximum return probability is in general shorter. We find that tr depends on λ=εevol/εprep, being the ratio of the error in setting the parameters (fields) for the time-reversed evolution to the perturbation which is involved in the preparation process. Our results should be observable in spin-echo experiments where the dynamical irreversibility of quantum phases is measured.

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  • Received 21 August 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.010402

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Moritz Hiller1, Tsampikos Kottos1, Doron Cohen2, and Theo Geisel1

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Strömungsforschung und Fakultät Physik der Universität Göttingen, Bunsenstraße 10, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany
  • 2Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel

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Vol. 92, Iss. 1 — 9 January 2004

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