Quantum dephasing and decay of classical correlation functions in chaotic systems

Abstract

We discuss the dephasing induced by internal classical chaotic motion in the absence of any external environment. To this end an extension of fidelity for mixed states is introduced, which we name allegiance. Such a quantity directly accounts for quantum interference and is measurable in a Ramsey interferometry experiment. We show that in the semiclassical limit the decay of the allegiance is exactly expressed, due to the dephasing, in terms of an appropriate classical correlation function. Our results are derived analytically for the case of a nonlinear driven oscillator and then numerically confirmed for the kicked rotor model. © 2007 The American Physical Society.