Complete positivity, positivity and long-time asymptotic behavior in a two-level open quantum system

Abstract: We study the concepts of complete positivity, positivity and non-Markovianity in a two-level open quantum system whose dynamics are governed by a time-local quantum master equation. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions on the time-dependent relaxation rates to ensure complete positivity and positivity of the dynamical map. We discuss their relations with the non-Markovian behavior of the open system. We also analyze the long-time asymptotic behavior of the dynamics as a function of the rates. We show under which conditions on the rates the system tends to the equilibrium state. Different examples illustrate this general study.