About this Research Topic

Background

Quantum science and technologies have seen vast amounts of investment in recent years, reflecting their potential and impact in almost all science areas. Open quantum systems (OQS) have emerged as a fundamental description of this fast growing sector. The OQS paradigm enables the microscopic understanding of the governing mechanisms for the precise tuning and engineering of the coupling between quantum devices and their environment. With unprecedented theoretical and experimental development, OQS has given access to not only the diagnosis of current quantum hardware, but also to novel state preparation schemes with applications in quantum simulation, computing and metrology, and to new phases of matter and phenomena. In addition, this toolbox has also been applied to a large range of seemingly far problems, both classical and quantum, from biology to cosmology.

The developments of quantum hardware face enormous challenges, notably because of their coupling to the environment that causes decoherence and degradation of entanglement, a crucial resource in this context. Nevertheless, numerous studies in past decades have shown how dissipation can be leveraged and engineered to probe regimes otherwise inaccessible, turning dissipation into a valuable tool. The applicability of OQS has only increased in recent years due to the synergistic development of both classical and quantum numerical methods, analytical methods and experimental control.

In order to describe the behavior of complex systems, OQS methods combine concepts, methods and expertise from different communities such as quantum optics, quantum many-body physics and quantum information. We welcome authors from all these different backgrounds to contribute. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

- Markovian and Non-Markovian systems
- Numerical approaches for OQS: tensor networks, stochastic unraveling, machine learning
- Analytical approaches for OQS: CFT, Keldysh formalism, perturbation theory
- Role of dissipation in experimental platforms and technologies
- OQS in applied classical and quantum models
- Complex networks and transport in dissipative media
- Classical optimization problems in dissipative quantum devices
- Role of decoherence in quantum to classical crossover.

Authors are encouraged to submit their latest research findings within the aforementioned domain as well as potential mini-reviews.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Open quantum systems, Quantum optics, Quantum many-body physics, Quantum simulation, Quantum computing, Simulational methods for quantum systems, Dissipative state preparation

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