Effects of dissipative environments on some quantum systems
type: CreativeWork
description: The properties of a system coupled to an environment can be dramatically changed compared to those of the isolated case. In this thesis I present a theoretical study of environmental influence on the following physical phenomena: the persistent current of a metallic ring, the escape rate of an electron from a helium surface, and the transition probability of the Landau-Zener level crossing. Chapter one contains a general introduction to these physical systems and a brief review of the theoretical methods I shall use. The study of an equilibrium property, the persistent current of a metallic ring coupled to an environment, is in chapter two. Chapter three describes the effects of an environment on the escape of electrons from a helium surface. In chapter four a detailed study of the Landau-Zener level crossing problem with a dissipative environment is presented. Finally, in chapter five I propose some questions that need further theoretical consideration.
abstract: The properties of a system coupled to an environment can be dramatically changed compared to those of the isolated case. In this thesis I present a theoretical study of environmental influence on the following physical phenomena: the persistent current of a metallic ring, the escape rate of an electron from a helium surface, and the transition probability of the Landau-Zener level crossing. Chapter one contains a general introduction to these physical systems and a brief review of the theoretical methods I shall use. The study of an equilibrium property, the persistent current of a metallic ring coupled to an environment, is in chapter two. Chapter three describes the effects of an environment on the escape of electrons from a helium surface. In chapter four a detailed study of the Landau-Zener level crossing problem with a dissipative environment is presented. Finally, in chapter five I propose some questions that need further theoretical consideration.
author: Ao, Ping
language: en
keywords: environmental influence, persistent current, metallic ring, escape rate, electron, helium surface, Landau-Zener crossing, quantum systems
date published: 2011-05-12T15:30:40Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:25:22Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/23874