State Initialization by Gate Operation in Open Quantum Systems

Abstract: A simple yet accurate method is introduced for calculating the initial conditions in open quantum systems with fast gates. This involves letting the system equilibriate with the environment for an extended time, then operating with the gate. We utilize the Bloch-Redfield (BR) master equation, adapted for periodic time-dependent Hamiltonians and fast Fourier transform algorithm, in place of the less efficient Floquet basis. This enables a unified approach that encompasses very long time scales for establishing environmental correlation and very short time-scales for fast gate operation, while maintaining quadratic precision of the coherences in terms of the weak-coupling constant. We examined the characteristics of qubits after this state preparation. We show that the initial qubit state post-gate is typically a hybrid: the population dynamics display Markovian behavior without reaction delays, while the coherence dynamics is exposed to significant vacuum fluctuations. We also find that the gate fidelity displays a continuous spin-echo characteristics as a function of the rotation angle of the qubit.