Simulation methods for open quantum many-body systems

Abstract

Coupling a quantum many-body system to an external environment dramatically changes its dynamics and offers novel possibilities not found in closed systems. Of special interest are the properties of the steady state of such open quantum many-body systems, as well as the relaxation dynamics toward the steady state. However, new computational tools are required to simulate open quantum many-body systems, as methods developed for closed systems cannot be readily applied. Several approaches to simulating open many-body systems are reviewed, and advances made in recent years toward the simulation of large system sizes are pointed out.