Population Dynamics of Schrödinger Cats

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Thompson, Foster, Kamenev, Alex
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
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author Thompson, Foster
Kamenev, Alex
author_facet Thompson, Foster
Kamenev, Alex
contents We demonstrate an exact equivalence between classical population dynamics and Lindbladian evolution admitting a dark state and obeying a set of certain local symmetries. We then introduce {\em quantum population dynamics} as models in which this local symmetry condition is relaxed. This allows for non-classical processes in which animals behave like Schrödinger's cat and enter superpositions of live and dead states, thus resulting in coherent superpositions of different population numbers. We develop a field theory treatment of quantum population models as a synthesis of Keldysh and third quantization techniques and draw comparisons to the stochastic Doi-Peliti field theory description of classical population models. We apply this formalism to study a prototypical ``Schrödigner cat'' population model on a $d$-dimensional lattice, which exhibits a phase transition between a dark extinct phase and an active phase that supports a stable quantum population. Using a perturbative renormalization group approach, we find a critical scaling of the Schrödinger cat population distinct from that observed in both classical population dynamics and usual quantum phase transitions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_07047
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Population Dynamics of Schrödinger Cats
Thompson, Foster
Kamenev, Alex
Statistical Mechanics
Quantum Physics
We demonstrate an exact equivalence between classical population dynamics and Lindbladian evolution admitting a dark state and obeying a set of certain local symmetries. We then introduce {\em quantum population dynamics} as models in which this local symmetry condition is relaxed. This allows for non-classical processes in which animals behave like Schrödinger's cat and enter superpositions of live and dead states, thus resulting in coherent superpositions of different population numbers. We develop a field theory treatment of quantum population models as a synthesis of Keldysh and third quantization techniques and draw comparisons to the stochastic Doi-Peliti field theory description of classical population models. We apply this formalism to study a prototypical ``Schrödigner cat'' population model on a $d$-dimensional lattice, which exhibits a phase transition between a dark extinct phase and an active phase that supports a stable quantum population. Using a perturbative renormalization group approach, we find a critical scaling of the Schrödinger cat population distinct from that observed in both classical population dynamics and usual quantum phase transitions.
title Population Dynamics of Schrödinger Cats
topic Statistical Mechanics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.07047