Strong friction limit in quantum mechanics: the Quantum Smoluchowski equation
Statistical Mechanics
2009-11-07 v2 Soft Condensed Matter
Chemical Physics
Abstract
For a quantum system coupled to a heat bath environment the strong friction limit is studied starting from the exact path integral formulation. Generalizing the classical Smoluchowski limit to low temperatures a time evolution equation for the position distribution is derived and the strong role of quantum fluctuations in this limit is revealed.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0107261,
title = {Strong friction limit in quantum mechanics: the Quantum Smoluchowski equation},
author = {Joachim Ankerhold and Philip Pechukas and Hermann Grabert},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0107261},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, PRL in press