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Relaxation into equilibrium under pure Schrödinger dynamics

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Abstract.

We consider bipartite quantum systems that are described completely by a state vector \(\vert{\Psi(t)}\rangle\) and the fully deterministic Schrödinger equation. Under weak constraints and without any artificially introduced decoherence or irreversibility, the smaller of the two subsystems shows thermodynamic behaviour like relaxation into an equilibrium, maximization of entropy and the emergence of the Boltzmann energy distribution. This generic behaviour results from entanglement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550, Stuttgart, Germany

    P. Borowski, J. Gemmer & G. Mahler

Authors
  1. P. Borowski
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  2. J. Gemmer
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  3. G. Mahler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Borowski.

Additional information

Received: 11 June 2003, Published online: 2 October 2003

PACS:

05.70.Ln Nonequilibrium and irreversible thermodynamics - 05.30.-d Quantum statistical mechanics

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Borowski, P., Gemmer, J. & Mahler, G. Relaxation into equilibrium under pure Schrödinger dynamics. Eur. Phys. J. B 35, 255–259 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2003-00275-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2003-00275-3

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