Temperature of a decoherent oscillator with strong coupling

Abstract

The temperature of an oscillator coupled to the vacuum state of a heat bath via Ohmic coupling is non-zero, as measured by the reduced density matrix of the oscillator. This study shows that the actual temperature, as measured by a thermometer, is still zero (or, in the thermal state of the bath, the temperature of the bath). The decoherence temperature is due to 'false-decoherence', with a correlation between the oscillator and the heat bath causing the decoherence, but the heat bath's state dragged along with the state of the oscillator. © 2012 The Royal Society.