Post-Markovian master equation à la microscopic collisional model

Abstract: We derive a completely positive post-Markovian master equation (PMME) from a microscopic Markovian collisional model framework, incorporating bath memory effects via a probabilistic single-shot measurement approach. This phenomenological master equation is both analytically solvable and numerically tractable. Depending on the choice of the memory kernel function, the PMME can be reduced to the exact Nakajima-Zwanzig equation or the Markovian master equation, enabling a broad spectrum of dynamical behaviors. We also investigate thermalization using the derived equation, revealing that the post-Markovian dynamics accelerates the thermalization process, exceeding rates observed within the Markovian framework. Our approach solidifies the assertion that "collisional models can simulate any open quantum dynamics", underscoring the versatility of the models in realizing open quantum systems.