Geometric phase-induced nuclear quantum interference is robust against quantum dissipation

Abstract

One of the intriguing effects due to conical intersections is the geometric phase, manifested as destructive quantum interference in the nuclear probability distribution. However, whether such geometric phaseinduced interference can survive in dissipative environments remains an open question. We demonstrate by numerically exact dissipative conical intersection dynamics simulations that the destructive interference is highly robust against non-Markovian quantum dissipation. To do so, we integrate the recently proposed local diabatic representation to describe vibronic couplings and the hierarchical equations of motion for system-bath interactions. Both vibrational and electronic environments are considered. An intuitive path integral-like picture isprovided to explain the robustness of geometric phase-induced interference.