Decoherence control in different environments

J. Paavola and S. Maniscalco
Phys. Rev. A 82, 012114 – Published 27 July 2010

Abstract

We investigate two techniques for controlling decoherence, focusing on the crucial role played by the environmental spectrum. We show how environments with different spectra lead to very different dynamical behaviors. Our study clearly proves that such differences must be taken into account when designing decoherence control schemes. The two techniques we consider are reservoir engineering and quantum Zeno control. We focus on a quantum harmonic oscillator initially prepared in a nonclassical state and derive analytically its non-Markovian dynamics in the presence of different bosonic thermal environments. On the one hand, we show how, by modifying the spectrum of the environment, it is possible to prolong or reduce the life of a Schrödinger cat state. On the other hand, we study the effect of nonselective energy measurements on the degradation of quantumness of initial Fock states. In this latter case, we see that the crossover between quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects, discussed by Maniscalco et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 130402 (2006)], is highly sensitive to the details of the spectrum. In particular, for certain types of spectra, even very small variations of the system frequency may cause a measurement-induced acceleration of decoherence rather than its inhibition.

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  • Received 18 March 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.82.012114

©2010 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

J. Paavola* and S. Maniscalco

  • Turku Center for Quantum Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turun yliopisto, Finland

  • *janika.paavola@utu.fi; www.openq.fi
  • sabrina.maniscalco@utu.fi; www.openq.fi

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Vol. 82, Iss. 1 — July 2010

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