Quantum Dynamics Against a Noisy Background

Abstract

By the example of a kicked quartic oscillator we investigate the dynamics of classically chaotic quantum systems with few degrees of freedom affected by persistent external noise. Stability and reversibility of the motion are analyzed in detail in dependence on the noise level $\sigma$. The critical level $\sigma_c(t)$, below which the response of the system to the noise remains weak, is studied versus the evolution time. In the regime with the Ehrenfest time interval $t_E$ so short that the classical Lyapunov exponential decay of the Peres fidelity does not show up the time dependence of this critical value is proved to be power-like. We estimate also the decoherence time after which the motion turns into a Markovian process.