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We highlight a dynamical anomaly in which the rate of relaxation towards thermal equilibrium in a bi-partite quantum system violates the standard linear-response (Kubo) formulation, even when the underlying dynamics is highly chaotic. This anomaly originates from an $\hbar$-dependent sparsity of the underlying quantum network of transitions. Using a minimal bi-partite Bose-Hubbard model as an example, we find that the relaxation rate acquires an anomalous $\hbar$ dependence that reflects percolation-like dynamics in energy space., 14 pages, 5 figures

We find an exact expression for the current that is induced in a 3 site ring during a multiple-path adiabatic crossing. The understanding of the dynamics requires to go beyond the two-level phenomenology. In particular we highlight a prototype process, "adiabatic metamorphosis", during which current is flowing through a non-accessible site. This helps to understand the crossover from coherent non-classical splitting to stochastic noisy-alike partitioning of the current., 12 pages, 5 figures, J. Phys. A accepted version

These are the lecture notes for quantum and statistical mechanics courses that are given by DC at Ben-Gurion University. They are complementary to "Lecture Notes in Quantum Mechanics" [arXiv: quant-ph/0605180]. Some additional topics are covered, including: introduction to master equations; non-equilibrium processes; fluctuation theorems; linear response theory; adiabatic transport; the Kubo formalism; and the scattering approach to mesoscopics., 156 pages with some figures, updated version with additional sections

We formulate a semiclassical approach to study the dynamics of coherence loss and revival in a Bose-Josephson dimer. The phase-space structure of the bi-modal system in the Rabi, Josephson, and Fock interaction regimes, is reviewed and the prescription for its WKB quantization is specified. The local density of states (LDOS) is then deduced for any given preparation from its semiclassical projection onto the WKB eigenstates. The LDOS and the non-linear variation of its level-spacing are employed to construct the time evolution of the initial preparation and study the temporal fluctuations of interferometric fringe visibility. The qualitative behavior and characteristic timescales of these fluctuations are set by the pertinent participation number, quantifying the spectral content of the preparation. We employ this methodology to study the Josephson-regime coherence dynamics of several initial state preparations, including a Twin-Fock state and three different coherent states that we denote as 'Zero', 'Pi', and 'Edge' (the latter two are both on-separatrix preparations, while the Zero is the standard ground sate preparation). We find a remarkable agreement between the semiclassical predictions and numerical simulations of the full quantum dynamics. Consequently, a characteristic distinct behavior is implied for each of the different preparations., Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures; Progress in Optical science and Photonics, Vol. 1: Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking, Self-trapping, and Josephson Oscillations (Springer, New York, 2013), Ed. B. A. Malomed

The Loschmidt echo is a measure of quantum irreversibility and is determined by the fidelity amplitude of an imperfect time-reversal protocol. Fidelity amplitude plays an important role both in the foundations of quantum mechanics and its applications, such as time-resolved electronic spectroscopy. We derive an exact path integral formula for the fidelity amplitude and use it to obtain a series of increasingly accurate semiclassical approximations by truncating an exact expansion of the path integral exponent. While the zeroth-order expansion results in a remarkably simple, yet nontrivial approximation for the fidelity amplitude, the first-order expansion yields an alternative derivation of the so-called "dephasing representation", circumventing the use of semiclassical propagator as in the original derivation. We also obtain approximate expression for fidelity based on the second-order expansion, which resolves several shortcomings of the dephasing representation. The rigorous derivation from the path integral permits the identification of sufficient conditions under which various approximations obtained become exact., Comment: 11 pages, no figures, minor typo corrected

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a short pedagogical explanation why "quantum collapse" is not a metaphysical event, by pointing out the analogy with a "classical collapse" which is associated with the Monty Hall Paradox., Comment: 6 pages

These lecture notes cover undergraduate textbook topics (e.g. as in Sakurai), and also additional advanced topics at the same level of presentation. In particular: EPR and Bell; Basic postulates; The probability matrix; Measurement theory; Entanglement; Quantum computation; Wigner-Weyl formalism; The adiabatic picture; Berry phase; Linear response theory; Kubo formula; Modern approach to scattering theory with mesoscopic orientation; Theory of the resolvent and the Green function; Gauge and Galilei Symmetries; Motion in magnetic field; Quantum Hall effect; Quantization of the electromagnetic field; Fock space formalism., Comment: 295 pages with some figures, textual improvements, no structural changes, equations numbered by section

Driven chaotic systems are of interest in mesoscopic physics, as well as in nuclear, atomic and molecular physics. Such systems [coordinates $(Q,P)$]$ tend to absorb energy. This irreversible effect is known as dissipation. "Driving" means that a parameter $x$ is changed in time. More generally, $x$ may be a dynamical variable. In such case the interaction of $(x,p)$ with the environmental degrees of freedom $(Q,P)$ leads to dephasing as well as to dissipation. We introduce a general framework for the analysis of dissipation and dephasing, and we clarify the tight connection to recent studies of quantum irreversibility (also referred to as "Loschmidt echo" or as the "fidelity" of quantum computation). Specific model systems that will be presented are: particle in a box driven by moving a wall, and particle in a box/ring driven by electro-motive-force. These two examples are related to studies of nuclear friction and mesoscopic conductance., Comment: Lecture notes of a course in the 2002 Karpacz school, 19 pages, 18 figures, with Refs updated

The main idea of "Quantum Chaos" studies is that Quantum Mechanics introduces two energy scales into the study of chaotic systems: One is obviously the mean level spacing $\Delta\propto\hbar^d$, where $d$ is the dimensionality; The other is $\Delta_b\propto\hbar$, which is known as the non-universal energy scale, or as the bandwidth, or as the Thouless energy. Associated with these two energy scales are two special quantum-mechanical (QM) regimes in the theory of driven system. These are the QM adiabatic regime, and the QM non-perturbative regime respectively. Otherwise Fermi golden rule applies, and linear response theory can be trusted. Demonstrations of this general idea, that had been published in 1999, have appeared in studies of wavepacket dynamics, survival probability, dissipation, quantum irreversibility, fidelity and dephasing., Comment: 3 pages. The presentation is intended for non-specialists

There are three regimes in the theory of energy absorption: The adiabatic regime, the linear-response (Kubo) regime, and the non-perturbative regime. The mesoscopic Drude formula for electrical conductance, and the wall formula for friction, can be regarded as special cases of the general formulation of the dissipation problem. The overview is based on a research report for 1998-2000., 6 pages, 5 figures

The motion of a particle under the influence of a dynamical disorder is described by the DLD model. One motivation is to understand the motion of an electron inside a metal; Another is to understand quantal Brownian motion. The overview is based on a research report for 1996-1998., Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures

The angle coordinate of the Quantum Kicked Rotator problem is treated as if it were an extended coordinate. A new mechanism for destruction of coherence by noise is analyzed using both heuristic and formal approach. Its effectiveness constitutes a manifestation of long-range non-trivial dynamical correlations. Perturbation theory fails to quantify certain aspects of this effect. In the perturbative case, for sufficiently weak noise, the diffusion coefficient ${\cal D}$ is just proportional to the noise intensity $\nu$. It is predicted that in some generic cases one may have a non-perturbative dependence ${\cal D}\propto\nu^{\alpha}$ with $0.35 < \alpha < 0.38$ for arbitrarily weak noise. This work has been found relevant to the recently studied ionization of H-atoms by a microwave electric field in the presence of noise. Note added (a): Borgonovi and Shepelyansky have adopted this idea of non-perturbative transport, and have demonstrated that the same effect manifests itself in the tight-binding Anderson model with the same exponent $\alpha$. Note added (b): The recent interest in the work reported here comes from the experimental work by the Austin group and by the Auckland group. In these experiment the QKP model is realized literally. However, the novel effect of non-perturbative transport, reported in this Letter, has not been tested yet., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Written in 1991. Notes added 1999. New interest due to recent experiments