Tuning energy transport using interacting vibrational modes

Abstract

We study energy transport in a chain of quantum harmonic and anharmonic oscillators where the anharmonicity is induced by interaction between local vibrational states of the chain. Using adiabatic elimination and numerical simulations with matrix product states, we show how strong interactions significantly slow down the relaxation dynamics (with the emergence of a new time scale) and can alter the properties of the steady state. We also show that steady state properties are completely different depending on the order in which the limits of infinite time and infinite interaction are taken.