Open Quantum Dynamics with Nonlinearly Realized Symmetries.

Abstract

In the framework of Non-Equilibrium Field Theory, I will construct the effective influence functional — generator of non-equilibrium correlation functions — for a mechanical system with degrees of freedom living on a group (e.g. rigid body) interacting with a thermal bath at high temperature. I will derive the constraints on the influence functional following from the group symmetry structure and the DKMS symmetry — generalization of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. At the linear response level, group symmetry turns out to impose more constraints compared to DKMS. I will illustrate the general formalism with the diffusion in a Fermi gas and exhibit the large-N suppression of the non-linear response. Finally, I will introduce the Universal Bath — the generalization of the Caldeira-Leggett model. It is a dual field theory defined in one extra dimension that reproduces the classical non-equilibrium dynamics of the mechanical system. I will show that in the limit of Ohmic dissipation, when the temperature becomes the only relevant scale at play, the Universal Bath also reproduces the quantum corrections.