Steady state properties of periodically driven quantum systems

Abstract: Periodic driving is used to steer physical systems to unique stationary states or nonequilibrium steady states (NESS), producing enhanced properties inaccessible to non-driven systems. For open quantum systems, characterizing the NESS is challenging and existing results are generally limited to specific types of driving and the Born-Markov approximation. Here we go beyond these limits by studying a generic periodically driven $ N$-level quantum system interacting with a low-density thermal gas. Exploiting the framework of Floquet scattering theory, we establish general Floquet thermalization conditions constraining the nature of the NESS and the transition rates. Moreover, we examine theoretically the structure of the NESS at high temperatures, and find out that the NESS complies, rather surprisingly, with the Boltzmann law for any driving. Numerical calculations illustrate our theoretical elaborations for a simple toy model.