Is Lindblad for me?
Abstract
The Lindblad master equation is a foundational tool for modeling the dynamics of open quantum systems. As its use has extended far beyond its original domain, the boundaries of its validity have grown opaque. In particular, the rise of new research areas including open quantum many-body systems, non-equilibrium condensed matter, and the possibility to test its limits in driven-open quantum simulators, call for a critical revision of its regimes of applicability. In this pedagogical review, we re-examine the folklore surrounding its three standard approximations (Born, Markov, and Rotating Wave Approximation), as we build our narrative by employing a series of examples and case studies accessible to any reader with a solid background on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. As a synthesis of our work, we offer a checklist that contrasts common lore with refined expectations, offering a practical guideline for assessing the breakdown of the Lindblad framework in the problem at hand.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2506.22436,
title = {Is Lindblad for me?},
author = {Martino Stefanini and Aleksandra A. Ziolkowska and Dmitry Budker and Ulrich Poschinger and Ferdinand Schmidt-Kaler and Antoine Browaeys and Atac Imamoglu and Darrick Chang and Jamir Marino},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.22436},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
79 pages, 9 figures. Submission to SciPost. In this version we have revised some paragraphs for improved clarity and we have added a summary of relevant timescales in the last section