Work

Diffusion in quantum state preparation: From passive cooling to system-bath engineering

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We investigate and compare two particle number-conserving protocols for the preparation of a topologically nontrivial state. The first is derived from thermally coupling the system to a cold bath, while the second is based on engineered dissipation. We numerically study the time required to reach the target state as well as its robustness against physically important perturbations. Crucially, in both protocols, the cooling capability is limited by dissipatively induced diffusion processes. The resulting quadratic scaling of the cooling time with system size is also corroborated analytically using mean-field approximations and a purely classical random-walk model. Furthermore, we find that the engineered protocol admits a unique and stable dark state, which contributes to an ongoing discussion regarding the applicability of dissipative state preparation to many-body systems.

Source: Physical Review Research

DOI: 10.1103/4q72-7gg6

Authors: Tim Pokart, Lukas König, Sebastian Diehl, Jan Carl Budich

Institutions: Technische Universität Dresden, University of Cologne, Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems

Language: English

Topic: Quantum many-body systems

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,625

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Technische Universität Dresden