Phase space contraction and Quantum operations.

I. GARCÍA-MATA; M. SARACENO; M.E. SPINA; G.G. CARLO

PHYSICAL REVIEW A - ATOMIC, MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS

Año: 2005 vol. 72 p. 62315 - 62323

1050-2947

We give a criterion to differentiate between dissipative and diffusive quantum operations. It is based on the classical idea that dissipative processes contract volumes in phase space. We define a quantity that can be regarded as “quantum phase space contraction rate” and which is related to a fundamental property of quantum channels: nonunitality. We relate it to other properties of the channel and also show a simple example of dissipative noise composed with a chaotic map. The emergence of attractor-like structures is displayed.