Phase-Reference Control of Steady-State Entanglement in Open Quantum Systems

Abstract

We show that steady-state entanglement in open quantum systems is controlled by the phase reference of a phase-sensitive reservoir. Using a covariance-matrix approach for Gaussian-preserving dynamics, we demonstrate that purely local, phase-sensitive dissipation can generate entanglement when combined with coherent coupling. The steady state exhibits a finite entangled region with an optimal squeezing strength that maximizes both the magnitude and thermal robustness of entanglement. We find that coherent coupling does not enhance entanglement monotonically, but instead regulates the conversion of local squeezing into nonlocal correlations. Importantly, the coupling dependence is controlled by the phase reference of the squeezed reservoir: phase-locked (rotating-frame) and laboratory-frame implementations yield qualitatively distinct steady states and entanglement structure. These results establish phase-sensitive reservoir engineering as a controllable route to steady-state entanglement in continuous-variable systems. Steady-state entanglement in phase-sensitive open systems depends explicitly on the reservoir phase reference and is not invariant under changes of that reference.}