Mixing-induced quantum non-Markovianity and information flow

Abstract

Mixing dynamical maps describing open quantum systems can lead from Markovian to non-Markovian processes. Being surprising and counter-intuitive, this result has been used as argument against characterization of non-Markovianity in terms of information exchange. Here, we demonstrate that, quite the contrary, mixing can be understood in a natural way which is fully consistent with existing theories of memory effects. In particular, we show how mixing-induced non-Markovianity can be interpreted in terms of the distinguishability of quantum states, system-environment correlations and the information flow between system and environment.

Keywords

• open quantum systems
• non-Markovian quantum dynamics
• distinguishability of quantum states
• mixing quantum dynamical maps
• system-environment correlations
• information flow