title: Geometric phase distributions for open quantum systems.
abstract: In an open system, the geometric phase should be described by a distribution. We show that a geometric phase distribution for open system dynamics is in general ambiguous, but the imposition of reasonable physical constraints on the environment and its coupling with the system yields a unique geometric phase distribution that applies even for mixed states, nonunitary dynamics, and noncyclic evolutions.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Quantum Information Science, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: K-P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Marzlin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghose
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Sanders