A complete suppression of the exponential decay in a qubit (interacting with a squeezed vacuum reservoir) can be achieved by frequent measurements of adequately chosen observables. The observables and initial states (Zeno subspace) for which the effe
ct occurs depend on the squeezing parameters of the bath. We show these_quantum Zeno dynamics_ to be substantially different for selective and non-selective measurements. In either case, the approach to the Zeno limit for a finite number of measurements is also studied numerically. The calculation is extended from one to two qubits, where we see both Zeno and anti-Zeno effects depending on the initial state. The reason for the striking differences with the situation in closed systems is discussed.
For suitable parameters, the classical Duffing oscillator has a known bistability in its stationary states, with low- and high-amplitude branches. As expected from the analogy with a particle in a double-well potential, transitions between these stat
es become possible either at finite temperature, or in the quantum regime due to tunneling. In this analogy, besides local stability, one can also discuss global stability by comparing the two potential minima. For the Duffing oscillator, the stationary states emerge dynamically so that a priori, a potential-minimum criterion for them does not exist. However, global stability is still relevant, and definable as the state containing the majority population for long times, low temperature, and close to the classical limit. Further, the crossover point is the parameter value at which global stability abruptly changes from one state to the other. For the double-well model, the crossover point is defined by potential-minimum degeneracy. Given that this analogy is so effective in other respects, it is thus striking that for the Duffing oscillator, the crossover point turns out to be non-unique. Rather, none of the three aforementioned limits commute with each other, and the limiting behaviour depends on the order in which they are taken. More generally, as both $hbarTo0$ and $TTo0$, the ratio $hbaromega_0/k_mathrm{B}T$ continues to be a key parameter and can have any nonnegative value. This points to an apparent conceptual difference between equilibrium and nonequilibrium tunneling. We present numerical evidence by studying the pertinent quantum master equation in the photon-number basis. Independent verification and some further understanding are obtained using a semi-analytical approach in the coherent-state representation.
