Berry phase in the presence of external noise
Abstract
Here we summarise and place in context two of our earlier works. There we investigate the geometric phase or Berry phase (BP) acquired by a spin-half which is subject to external noise in addition to a slowly varying magnetic field (which generates the Berry phase). The noise may be due to the fluctuations of either quantum or classical degrees-of-freedom in the vicinity of the spin. We find that the noise modifies the Berry phase and that this modification is of a geometric nature. While the original BP (for an isolated system) is the flux of a monopole-field through the loop traversed by the magnetic field, the noise-induced modification of the BP is the flux of a quadrupole-like field. The noise-induced phase is complex and its imaginary part giving a geometric contribution to dephasing; its sign depends on the direction of the loop. Unlike the BP, this geometric dephasing is gauge invariant for open paths of the magnetic field. We discuss the consequences of this for proposals to use Berry phases to control qubits, in particular solid state (superconducting) qubits.
- Publication:
-
Unsolved Problems of Noise and Fluctuations in Physics, Biology and High Technology
- Pub Date:
- November 2005
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.2138615
- Bibcode:
- 2005AIPC..800..203W
- Keywords:
-
- 03.65.Vf;
- 74.40.+k;
- Phases: geometric;
- dynamic or topological;
- Fluctuations