Thermodynamics of dissipative quantum systems by effective potential
Abstract
Classical-like formulas are given in order to evaluate thermal averages of observables belonging to a quantum nonlinear system with dissipation described by the Caldeira-Leggett model [Phys. Rev. Lett. 46, 211 (1981); Ann. Phys. (N.Y.) 149, 374 (1983)]. The underlying scheme is the pure-quantum self-consistent harmonic approximation, which leads to expressions with a Boltzmann factor involving an effective potential and with a Gaussian average. The latter describes the effect of the fluctuations of purely quantum origin. As an illustration we calculate the coordinate probability distribution for a double-well potential in the presence of various degrees of Ohmic dissipation.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9701198,
title = {Thermodynamics of dissipative quantum systems by effective potential},
author = {Alessandro Cuccoli and Andrea Rossi and Valerio Tognetti and Ruggero Vaia},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9701198},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, 3 figures included by psfig (minor corrections in revised version)