Lindblad Plus From Feynman-Vernon

Abstract

I show how the Lindblad Plus equation will follow from the Feynman-Vernon theory. The Plus refers to the inclusion of non-Markov processes in the Lindblad equation resulting in an integro-differential general master equation. The equivalence of this general master equation and not the Lindblad equation alone to the Feynman-Vernon theory should be expected because the sum over histories approach of the FV theory clearly includes non-Markov processes, which Lindblad equation ignores. This should close the seeming gap between these two approaches to quantum open systems.