title: Application of a time-convolutionless stochastic Schrödinger equation to energy transport and thermal relaxation.
abstract: Quantum stochastic methods based on effective wave functions form a framework for investigating the generally non-Markovian dynamics of a quantum-mechanical system coupled to a bath. They promise to be computationally superior to the master-equation approach, which is numerically expensive for large dimensions of the Hilbert space. Here, we numerically investigate the suitability of a known stochastic Schrödinger equation that is local in time to give a description of thermal relaxation and energy transport. This stochastic Schrödinger equation can be solved with a moderate numerical cost, indeed comparable to that of a Markovian system, and reproduces the dynamics of a system evolving according to a general non-Markovian master equation. After verifying that it describes thermal relaxation correctly, we apply it for the first time to the energy transport in a spin chain. We also discuss a portable algorithm for the generation of the coloured noise associated with the numerical solution of the non-Markovian dynamics.
authors.affiliation: ETSF Scientific Development Center, Departamento de Física de Materiales, Universidad del País Vasco, E-20018 San Sebastián, Spain. Institute of Theoretical Physics, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biele
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Timm
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Agosta