The physics of open quantum systems plays a major role in modern experiments and theoretical developments of quantum mechanics. Written for graduate students and readers with research interests in open systems, this book provides an introduction into the main ideas and concepts, in addition to developing analytical methods and computer simulation techniques.

This book treats the central physical concepts and mathematical techniques used to investigate the dynamics of open quantum systems. To provide a self-contained presentation the text begins with a survey of classical probability theory and with an introduction into the foundations of quantum mechanics with particular emphasis on its statistical interpretation. The fundamentals of density matrix theory, quantum Markov processes and dynamical semigroups are developed. The most important master equations used in quantum optics and in the theory of quantum Brownian motion are applied to the study...

The development of a consistent picture of the processes of decoherence and quantum measurement is among the most interesting fundamental problems with far-reaching consequences for our understanding of the physical world. A satisfactory solution of this problem requires a treatment which is c- patiblewiththetheoryofrelativity, andmanydiverseapproachestosolveor circumvent the arising di?culties have been suggested. This volume collects the contributions of a workshop on Relativistic Quantum Measurement and Decoherence held at the Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filoso?ci in Naples,...