A research team has, for the first time in the world, elucidated the microscopic mechanism by which quantum order is lost and collapses in "open quantum environments" existing in nature. Since perfectly isolated quantum systems cannot exist in reality, this study is expected to provide a decisive breakthrough in bridging the gap between ideal quantum theory and quantum technologies that must operate in real-world environments.
The study is published in the journal Advanced Science. The study was led by Professor JaeDong Lee of the Department of Physics and Chemistry at DGIST.
"High-order harmonics," generated when intense light is irradiated onto solid materials, have high academic and industrial value, as they are used for material characterization as well as for generating ultrafast pulses and high-energy light. However, during this process, a phenomenon known as "ultrafast electronic decoherence" occurs, in which the intrinsic quantum state becomes disrupted within an extremely short timescale of 1–2 femtoseconds. The fundamental cause of this phenomenon had remained unknown despite more than a decade of extensive research worldwide.
To solve this puzzle, Professor JaeDong Lee's team developed and applied a novel computational approach based on the "Lindblad master equation," overcoming the limitations of conventional quantum master equations. This enabled the establishment of a microscopic theoretical research framework that can precisely account for not only electron–electron interactions but also interactions between electrons and their surrounding environment.
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