Thermalization in a repeated-interaction model with memory effects
Abstract
We study how memory affects the thermalization of a qubit in a repeated-interaction model. In our model, a memory qubit interacts repeatedly with the system, while both qubits undergo collisions with fresh thermal ancillas. We derive exact closed evolution equations for their populations and mutual coherence, and demonstrate memory effects using a causal-break operation. Although the system converges to the target thermal state, the thermalization behavior shows non-monotonic approach. We also find a Mpemba-like reversal, in which the number of collisions required for thermalization depends non-monotonically on the temperature of the target state. Within the initial-state family considered, both phenomena require initial coherence between the system and memory or an imbalance in their excited-state populations.
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BibTeX
@misc{nishii2026thermalization,
title = {{Thermalization in a repeated-interaction model with memory effects}},
author = {Kanji Nishii and Ryo Nagai and Yoshihiko Abe},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.02854},
eprint = {2610.02854},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.02854},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Thermalization in a repeated-interaction model with memory effects
AU - Kanji Nishii
AU - Ryo Nagai
AU - Yoshihiko Abe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.02854
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.02854
AB - We study how memory affects the thermalization of a qubit in a repeated-interaction model. In our model, a memory qubit interacts repeatedly with the system, while both qubits undergo collisions with fresh thermal ancillas. We derive exact closed evolution equations for their populations and mutual coherence, and demonstrate memory effects using a causal-break operation. Although the system converges to the target thermal state, the thermalization behavior shows non-monotonic approach. We also find a Mpemba-like reversal, in which the number of collisions required for thermalization depends non-monotonically on the temperature of the target state. Within the initial-state family considered, both phenomena require initial coherence between the system and memory or an imbalance in their excited-state populations.
ER -