aiqbench analysis
This study demonstrates how environmental coherence in repeated-interaction frameworks can serve as a resource to lower effective qubit temperatures and reverse natural heat flow, offering new pathways for thermal control in quantum devices. The findings establish fundamental limits on steady-state purity while highlighting the role of phase relationships in managing anomalous energy transfer protocols.
Coherence-assisted quantum state preparation and thermal control through repeated interactions
arXiv:2610.10794v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We investigate the relaxation dynamics and steady state of a qubit interacting with a coherent environment through an energy-conserving flip-flop interaction within the Markovian repeated-interaction framework. We derive an exact analytical solution for the evolving and stationary state, nonperturbative in the environmental coherence. We show that environmental coherence provides a resource for dissipative state preparation by expanding the set of accessible steady states. In particular, coherent ancillas can increase the system ground- state population beyond that of the bath, corresponding to an effective temperature below the bath temperature, and enhance its steady-state purity, with these effects controlled by the interplay between the system energy scale and the system-ancilla coupling. Nevertheless, we prove that the purity of the system can never exceed the purity of the ancilla. We further analyze the thermodynamics of the protocol and show that environmental coherence can modify and even reverse the natural direction of heat transfer, giving rise to anomalous heat flow. Remarkably, for fixed interaction parameters, the direction of the coherence-induced heat transfer is governed by the relative phase between the system and ancilla coherence, whereas their magnitudes determine the amount of heat exchanged. Our results establish environmental coherence as a resource for controlling steady-state preparation and energy transfer in repeated-interaction dynamics.
Abstract:We investigate the relaxation dynamics and steady state of a qubit interacting with a coherent environment through an energy-conserving flip-flop interaction within the Markovian repeated-interaction framework. We derive an exact analytical solution for the evolving and stationary state, nonperturbative in the environmental coherence. We show that environmental coherence provides a resource for dissipative state preparation by expanding the set of accessible steady states. In particular, coherent ancillas can increase the system ground- state population beyond that of the bath, corresponding to an effective temperature below the bath temperature, and enhance its steady-state purity, with these effects controlled by the interplay between the system energy scale and the system-ancilla coupling. Nevertheless, we prove that the purity of the system can never exceed the purity of the ancilla. We further analyze the thermodynamics of the protocol and show that environmental coherence can modify and even reverse the natural direction of heat transfer, giving rise to anomalous heat flow. Remarkably, for fixed interaction parameters, the direction of the coherence-induced heat transfer is governed by the relative phase between the system and ancilla coherence, whereas their magnitudes determine the amount of heat exchanged. Our results establish environmental coherence as a resource for controlling steady-state preparation and energy transfer in repeated-interaction dynamics.
Quantum Physics (quant-ph); Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall); Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph); Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph)
arXiv:2610.10794 [quant-ph]
(or arXiv:2610.10794v1 [quant-ph] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2610.10794 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
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Full text under the publisher's open licence · 312 words
