Influence of Initial Correlations on Evolution of a Subsystem in a Heat Bath and Polaron Mobility

A regular approach to accounting for initial correlations, which allows to go beyond the unrealistic random phase (initial product state) approximation in deriving the evolution equations, is suggested. An exact homogeneous (time-convolution and time-convolutionless) equations for a relevant part of the two-time equilibrium correlation function for the dynamic variables of a subsystem interacting with a boson field (heat bath) are obtained. No conventional approximation like RPA or Bogoliubov’s principle of weakening of initial correlations is used. The obtained equations take into account the initial correlations in the kernel governing their evolution. The solution to these equations is found in the second order of the kernel expansion in the electron–phonon interaction, which demonstrates that generally the initial correlations influence the correlation function’s evolution in time. It is explicitly shown that this influence vanishes on a large timescale (actually at \(t\rightarrow \infty \)) and the evolution process enters an irreversible kinetic regime. The developed approach is applied to the Fröhlich polaron and the low-temperature polaron mobility (which was under a long-time debate) is found with a correction due to initial correlations.