How to model a classical bath?

In summary, the model described in the chat does not correspond to the inner dynamics of a quantum bath.
  • #1
IsNoGood
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Hello everybody,

I recently had to do with a model of a single Spin coupled to a very generic quantum mechanical bath (the actual point was finding pulses that manipulate the spin as accurate as possible despite having a finite length in time but as this doesn't have anything to do with my questions I'll just omit their hamiltonians):

[itex]H = H_b + \vec{\sigma}\vec{A}[/itex]
where [itex]H_b[/itex] describes the internal dynamics of the bath, [itex]\vec{\sigma}[/itex] is the well known pauli matrix-vector and [itex]\vec{A}[/itex] a vector containing operators which model the interaction between the spin (in its 3 directions, of course) and the bath.
In subsequent calculations, it was important not to define either [itex]H_b[/itex] or [itex]\vec{A}[/itex] any further. To remain as generic as possible, even [itex][H_b,\vec{A}] \neq 0[/itex] was assumed, only [itex][\vec{A},\vec{\sigma}] = 0[/itex] was exploited later.

To put it in a nutshell:
I now made up two questions, being
1.is it possible to find a similarly generic model which describes the coupling of the spin to a classical bath and
2. what would a toy model of such a system look like?

Every hint is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
If the components of the classical bath have magnetic moments associated with them, then you will get a *direct* coupling to the classical bath, otherwise there should be no *direct* coupling as far as I can tell. Of course, if the spins are carried by particles, and the classical bath is represented as an ensemble of particles, then there will be an indirect coupling through collisions between the particles. Another possibility is that if there is an external magnetic field present, its effects on the collisional dynamics between the particles carrying spins and the bath particles would need to be accounted for.

Does that help?
 
  • #3
Thank you for your answer SpectraCat, it was indeed helpful. After some additional research, It led me to the following conclusion:

I guess what I was searching for can be best described by
[itex] \vec{\sigma}\vec{A} \rightarrow \vec{\sigma}\vec{c}(t)[/itex]
where [itex]\vec{c}(t)[/itex] is a vector of gaussian distributed random variables modeling the coupling of the spin to the classical bath in every direction. (By the way, does anybody have an idea what could reasonably be chosen to be the mean [itex]\mu[/itex] of this gaussian distribution?)

However, there's still one question left:
In the case of a classical bath, is there anything corresponding to the inner dynamics [itex]H_b[/itex] of the quantum bath?

As always, every hint is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
IsNoGood
 

FAQ: How to model a classical bath?

How do you define a classical bath model?

A classical bath model is a theoretical framework used to describe the dynamics of a system in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings. It involves treating the bath as a large number of particles with well-defined positions and velocities, following the principles of classical mechanics.

What are the main assumptions of a classical bath model?

The main assumptions of a classical bath model include: 1) the bath is in thermal equilibrium with the system, 2) the bath particles are non-interacting, 3) the bath particles have a continuous distribution of energies, and 4) the bath particles have a large number of degrees of freedom.

How is a classical bath model different from other types of bath models?

A classical bath model is different from other types of bath models, such as quantum or semiclassical, in that it only considers the macroscopic behavior of the bath and does not take into account quantum effects. It is also simpler and more computationally efficient compared to other models.

What is the role of a classical bath in molecular dynamics simulations?

In molecular dynamics simulations, a classical bath is used to mimic the effects of the surrounding environment on the system of interest. It helps to maintain the system at a constant temperature and allows for the study of thermal fluctuations and equilibration processes.

Can a classical bath model be used for all types of systems?

No, a classical bath model is only applicable to systems that are in thermal equilibrium with their surroundings. It is not suitable for studying quantum systems or systems that are far from equilibrium. In those cases, other types of bath models may be more appropriate.

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