GENERAL THEORY OF OPEN QUANTUM SYSTEMS

The following sections are included:

• Diverse limited approaches: a brief survey

  • Langevin equation for a damped classical system

  • New schemes of quantization

  • Traditional system-plus-reservoir methods

  • Stochastic dynamics in Hilbert space

• System-plus-reservoir models

  • Harmonic oscillator bath with linear coupling

  • Ergodicity

  • The spin-boson model

  • Microscopic models

  • Charging and environmental effects in tunnel junctions

  • Nonlinear quantum environments

• Imaginary-time approach and equilibrium dynamics

  • General concepts

  • Effective action and equilibrium density matrix

  • Partition Function of the Open System

  • Quantum statistical expectation values in phase space

• Real-time path integrals and nonequilibrium dynamics

  • Statement of the problem and general concepts

  • Feynman-Vernon method for a product initial state

  • Decoherence and friction

  • General initial states and preparation function

  • Complex-time path integral for the propagating function

  • Real-time path integral for the propagating function

  • Closed time contour representation

  • Semiclassical regime

  • Stochastic unraveling of influence functional

  • Non-Markovian dissipative dynamics in the semiclassical limit

  • Brief summary and outlook