Abstract
We discuss the detection of quantum fluctuations in the light of the general van Hove - type relationship between time-dependent correlators and measurable properties. Considering the interaction between the fluctuating electron system and a resonant circuit or a photon mode, we prove that zero point fluctuations (ZPF) are not observable by a passive detector, corroborating the results of Lesovik and Loosen. By a passive detector we mean one which is itself effectively in the ground state, and can not transfer energy to the ZPF whose detection is attempted. We find that the ZPF can, on the other hand, be observed through the absorption spectrum, via the deexcitation of an active detector. We also make the connection between these statements and the recent discussion of whether decoherence can be caused by the ZPF. We derive a useful general formula for the dephasing rate and use it along with the detailed-balance condition, to prove that the dephasing rate vanishes at the T → 0 limit. The distinction is made between decoherence via making a real excitation in the environment and effects due to its polarization by virtual excitations.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
E. Buks, R. Schuster, M. Heiblum, D. Mahalu and V. Umansky, Nature 391, 871 (1998).
Y. Levinson, Europhys. Lett. 39, 299 (1997).
B.L. Altshuler, A.G. Aronov, and D.E. Khmelnitskii, J. Phys. C15, 7367 (1982).
A. Stern, Y. Aharonov, and Y. Imry, Phys. Rev. A41, 3436 (1990); and in G. Kramer, ed. Quantum Coherence in Mesoscopic Systems, NATO ASI Series no. 254, Plenum., p. 99 (1991).
Y. Imry, Introduction to Mesoscopic Physics, Oxford Unversity Press (1997).
G.B. Lesovik and R. Loosen, JETP Lett., 65, 295(1997); see also: G.B. Lesovik and L. S. Levitov, Phys. Rev. Lett 72, 538 (1994).
P. Mohanty, E.M. Jariwala and R.A. Webb, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3366 (1997); P. Mohanty and R.A. Webb, Phys. Rev. B55, 13452 (1997).
For the Quantum Optics context, see for example, S. Haroche, Physics Today 51 (7), 35(1998).
L. van Hove, Phys. Rev 95, 249 (1954). In this classic paper, the dynamic correlation function for the density 〈n q(0)n-q(t〉, was introduced, it was shown that its time Fourier transform, S(q, ω), yields the inelastic Born scattering cross section from the system, the properties of the latter were analyzed and the connection to the dissipative response indicated.
U. Gavish, Y. Levinson and Y. Imry, Phys. Rev. 62, R10637 (2000).
G. Baym, Lectures on Quantum Mechanics, p. 271–276, Addison-Wesley (1993).
L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifschitz, Statistical Physics, Pergamon (1958).
G.B. Lesovik, Phys. Usp., 41(2), 145 (1998)
J. R. Tucker and M. J. Feldman, Revs. Mod. Phys. 57, 1055 (1985).
V.A. Khlus, JETP 66, 1243 (1987); G.B. Lesovik, JETP Lett., 49, 592 (1989); Th. Martin and R. Landauer, Phys. Rev. B45, 1742 (1992); M. Büttiker, Phys. Rev. B46, 12485, (1992).
E. Merzbacher, Quantum Mechanics, John Wiley and Sons (1970).
Y. Imry, Y. Gefen, and D. J. Bergman, Phys. Rev. B26, 3436 (1982).
R.A. Webb, P. Mohanty and E.M. Jariwala in Quantum Coherence and Decoherence, proceedings of ISQM, Tokyo (1998), K. Fujikawa and Y. A. Ono, eds. North Holland, Amsterdam (2000).
D.S. Golubev and A.D. Zaikin, Phys. Rev. Lett., 81, 1074 (1998); Phys. Rev. B59, 9195(1999); Phys. Rev. Lett., 82, 3191 (1999).
I. L. Aleiner, B. L. Altshuler, M. E. Gershenson, Waves in Random Media 9, 201 (1999); Phys. Rev. Lett., 82, 3190 (1999).
B. L. Altshuler, M. E. Gershenson, I. L. Aleiner, Physica A3, 58 (1998).
Yu. B. Khavin, M. E. Gershenson and A. L. Bogdanov, Phys. Rev. Lett., 81, 1066 (1998), Phys. Rev. B58, 8009 (1998); M. E. Gershenson et al., Sov. Phys. Uspekhi 41 (2), 186 (1998).
D. Cohen and Y. Imry, Phys. Rev. B59, 11143 (1999).
Y. Imry, as in ref. [19].
Interestingly, this issue appears to have been settled already in 1988. See, for example, J. Rammer, A. L. Shelankov and A. Schmid, Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 1985 (1988).
Y. Imry, H. Fukuyama and P. Schwab, Europhys. Lett, 47, 608 (1999).
A. B. Gougam, F. Pierre, H. Pothier, D. Esteve and N. O. Birge, J. Low Temp. Phys. 118, 447 (2000); see also: F. Pierre, H. Pothier, D. Esteve and M. H. Devoret, ibid.; F. Pierre, Ph.D. thesis, Universite Paris VI (2000), unpublished.
P. Cedraschi, V. V. Ponomarenko and M. Büttiker, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 346 (2000).
A. J. Leggett et al., Rev. Mod. Phys. 59, 1 (1987); A. Stern, Ph.D. Thesis, Tel-Aviv University (1990), unpublished.
Z. Ovadyahu, unpublished (2000).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Gavish, U., Levinson, Y., Imry, Y. (2001). On the Detection of Quantum Noise and Low-Temperature Dephasing. In: Haug, R., Schoeller, H. (eds) Interacting Electrons in Nanostructures. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 579. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45532-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45532-9_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-42222-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-45532-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive