{
  "abstract": "The Lindblad master equation is a foundational tool for modeling the dynamics of open quantum systems. As its use has extended far beyond its original domain, the boundaries of its validity have grown opaque. In particular, the rise of new research areas including open quantum many body systems, non-equilibrium condensed matter, and the possibility to test its limits in driven-open quantum simulators, call for a critical revision of its regimes of applicability. In this pedagogical review, we re-examine the folklore surrounding its three standard approximations (Born, Markov, and Rotating Wave Approximation), as we build our narrative by employing a series of examples and case studies accessible to any reader with a solid background on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. As a synthesis of our work, we offer a checklist that contrasts common lore with refined expectations, offering a practical guideline for assessing the breakdown of the Lindblad framework in the problem at hand.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research",
    "Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz",
    "Sao Paulo State University",
    "GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research",
    "Helmholtz Institute Mainz",
    "University of California, Berkeley",
    "Institut d’Optique Graduate School",
    "Laboratoire Charles Fabry",
    "University of Paris-Saclay",
    "Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH)",
    "Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats",
    "Institute of Photonic Sciences",
    "University at Buffalo, State University of New York"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Martino Stefanini",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8095-9603"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Aleksandra A. Ziółkowska",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0090-9324"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4,
        1,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Dmitry Budker",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7356-4814"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ulrich Poschinger",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5341-7860"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ferdinand Schmidt‐Kaler",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5697-2568"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6,
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Antoine Browaeys",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9941-8869"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Ataç İmamoğlu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0641-1631"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10,
        11
      ],
      "name": "Darrick E. Chang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5426-7339"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        12
      ],
      "name": "Jamir Marino",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2585-2886"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/92ynkg8whgdwh.bib",
  "cited_by": 27,
  "doi": "10.21468/scipostphyslectnotes.129",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "92ynkg8whgdwh",
  "issns": [
    "2590-1990"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.21468/scipostphyslectnotes.129",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3107|Quantum Mechanics and Applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4416082242",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-06-24",
  "publisher": "SciPost.org",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/92ynkg8whgdwh.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-07T13:20:45Z",
      "native_id": "W4416082242",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.21468/scipostphyslectnotes.129"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3107|Quantum Mechanics and Applications",
      "subfield": "amo"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Is Lindblad for me?",
  "title_text": "Is Lindblad for me?",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/92ynkg8whgdwh",
  "venue": "SciPost Physics Lecture Notes",
  "versions": []
}