Simulation of open quantum systems by automated compression of arbitrary environments

It is difficult to analyse open quantum systems because an accurate description of their environments becomes intractably large. A method that automatically identifies an efficient representation provides a flexible approach to numerical simulations. Studies of the dynamics of open quantum systems are limited by the large Hilbert space of typical environments, which is too large to be treated exactly. In some cases, approximate descriptions of the system are possible, for example, when the environment has a short memory time or only interacts weakly with the system. Accurate numerical methods exist, but these are typically restricted to baths with Gaussian correlations, such as non-interacting bosons. Here we present a method for simulating open quantum systems with arbitrary environments that consist of a set of independent degrees of freedom. Our approach automatically reduces the large number of environmental degrees of freedom to those which are most relevant. Specifically, we show how the process tensor describing the effect of the environment can be iteratively constructed and compressed using matrix product state techniques. We demonstrate the power of this method by applying it to a range of open quantum systems, including bosonic, fermionic and spin environments. The versatility and efficiency of our automated compression of environments method provides a practical general-purpose tool for open quantum systems.

Automated summary

Analyzing open quantum systems is difficult due to the complexity of their environments, but an automated method for identifying efficient representations can aid in numerical simulations. While some environments can be accurately described, approximations may be necessary in cases of large Hilbert spaces. Accurate numerical methods exist, but are primarily limited to environments with Gaussian correlations.