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Open Quantum Systems Decoherence
Is Exact Markovianity Fundamental Once Time Is Relational?
arXiv
Authors: Partha Nandi, Francesco Petruccione
Year
2026
Paper ID
68957
Status
Preprint
Abstract Read
~2 min
Abstract Words
111
Citations
N/A
Abstract
Markovian open quantum theory assumes evolution with respect to an external classical time parameter, yet no preferred notion of time exists fundamentally in relativistic physics. We resolve this tension by formulating relativistic open quantum dynamics relationally through finite-resolution quantum clocks. Using the Schwinger-Tomonaga formalism, we derive a covariant master equation directly on spacetime hypersurfaces and show that the resulting reduced dynamics is generically non-Markovian even for local interactions. Environmental correlations and clock fluctuations jointly generate the memory kernel, while the Gorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan (GKLS) structure emerges only after relational coarse-graining, implying that exact Markovian evolution is effective rather than fundamental. In the sharp-clock limit, the formalism reduces to the Anastopoulos-Hu gravitational decoherence equation.
Why This Paper Matters
- This paper contributes to the Open Quantum Systems & Decoherence research area in the Quantum Articles archive.
- It adds a 2026 reference point for readers tracking recent quantum research.
- Markovian open quantum theory assumes evolution with respect to an external classical time parameter, yet no preferred notion of time exists fundamentally in relativistic physics.
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