Equilibration and macroscopic quantum fluctuations in the Dicke model

Abstract

We discuss the unitary quantum dynamics of the Dicke model (spin and oscillator coupled). A suitable quasiprobabilty representing the quantum state turns out to obey a Fokker-Planck equation, with drift terms representing the underlying classical Hamiltonian flow and diffusion terms describing quantum fluctuations. We show (by projecting the dynamics onto a co-moving Poincar\'e section) how the interplay of deterministic drift and quantum diffusion generates equilibration to the microcanonical density, under conditions of global classical chaos. The pertinent photon statistics reveals macroscopic quantum fluctuations.