An Introduction to Open Quantum Systems

3 Aug 2026, 09:00
2h
Lecture Hall (Kavli IPMU)

Lecture Hall

Kavli IPMU

Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8583, Japan

Speaker

Yukinao Akamatsu

Description

Open quantum systems provide a framework to describe quantum systems interacting with their environments. The theory has been developed mainly in quantum optics and has recently found applications in various areas of physics, including condensed-matter physics, quantum information, high-energy physics, and cosmology. In this lecture, I will give an introduction to the theory of open quantum systems, focusing on the Lindblad master equation. After introducing its basic formulation, I will discuss general properties of Lindblad dynamics, such as the Liouvillian spectrum and stochastic unraveling. In the final part, I will show an application of the open quantum system approach to quarkonium evolution in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

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