Stratified quantization approach to dissipative quantum systems: Derivation of the Hamiltonian and kinetic equations for reduced density matrices

A technique for describing dissipative quantum systems that utilizes a fundamental Hamiltonian, which is composed of intrinsic operators of the system, is presented. The specific system considered is a capacitor (or free particle) that is coupled to a resistor (or dissipative medium). The microscopic mechanisms that lead to dissipation are represented by the standard Hamiltonian. Now dissipation is really a collective phenomenon of entities that comprise a macroscopic or mesoscopic object. Hence operators that describe the collective features of the dissipative medium are utilized to construct the Hamiltonian that represents the coupled resistor and capacitor. Quantization of the spatial gauge function is introduced. The magnetic energy part of the coupled Hamiltonian is written in terms of that quantized gauge function and the current density of the dissipative medium. A detailed derivation of the kinetic equation that represents the capacitor or free particle is presented. The partial spectral densities and functions related to spectral densities, which enter the kinetic equations as coefficients of commutators, are evaluated. Explicit expressions for the nonMarkoffian contribution in terms of products of spectral densities and related functions are given. The influence of all two-time correlation functions are considered. Also stated is a remainder term that is a product of partial spectral densities and which is due to higher order terms in the correlation density matrix. The Markoffian part of the kinetic equation is compared with the Master equation that is obtained using the standard generator in the axiomatic approach. A detailed derivation of the Master equation that represents the dissipative medium is also presented. The dynamical equation for the resistor depends on the spatial wavevector, and the influence of the free particle on the diagonal elements (in wavevector space) is stated.