Reshaping the Quantum Arrow of Time

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: García-Pintos, Luis Pedro, Liu, Yi-Kai, Gorshkov, Alexey V.
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author García-Pintos, Luis Pedro
Liu, Yi-Kai
Gorshkov, Alexey V.
author_facet García-Pintos, Luis Pedro
Liu, Yi-Kai
Gorshkov, Alexey V.
contents While the microscopic laws of physics are often symmetric under time reversal, most natural processes that we observe are not. The emergent asymmetry between typical and time-reversed processes is referred to as the arrow of time. In quantum physics, an arrow of time emerges when a sequence of measurements is performed on a system. We introduce quantum control tools that can yield dynamics more consistent with time flowing backward than forward. The control tools are based on the explicit construction of a Hamiltonian that can replicate the stochastic trajectories of a monitored quantum system. Such Hamiltonian can reverse the effect of monitoring and, via a feedback process, generate trajectories consistent with a reversed arrow of time. It can also be used to simulate the backward-in-time dynamics of an open quantum system. Finally, we design a feedback-driven continuous measurement engine powered by the energy pumped into the system by the monitoring process. We show the engine can operate under experimentally realizable conditions with feedback delay and finite-efficiency measurements.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_13615
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Reshaping the Quantum Arrow of Time
García-Pintos, Luis Pedro
Liu, Yi-Kai
Gorshkov, Alexey V.
Quantum Physics
Statistical Mechanics
While the microscopic laws of physics are often symmetric under time reversal, most natural processes that we observe are not. The emergent asymmetry between typical and time-reversed processes is referred to as the arrow of time. In quantum physics, an arrow of time emerges when a sequence of measurements is performed on a system. We introduce quantum control tools that can yield dynamics more consistent with time flowing backward than forward. The control tools are based on the explicit construction of a Hamiltonian that can replicate the stochastic trajectories of a monitored quantum system. Such Hamiltonian can reverse the effect of monitoring and, via a feedback process, generate trajectories consistent with a reversed arrow of time. It can also be used to simulate the backward-in-time dynamics of an open quantum system. Finally, we design a feedback-driven continuous measurement engine powered by the energy pumped into the system by the monitoring process. We show the engine can operate under experimentally realizable conditions with feedback delay and finite-efficiency measurements.
title Reshaping the Quantum Arrow of Time
topic Quantum Physics
Statistical Mechanics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.13615