Quantum to classical transition induced by a classically small influence*

Abstract

We investigate the quantum to classical transition induced by two-particle interaction via a system of periodically kicked particles. The classical dynamics of particle 1 is almost unaffected in condition that its mass is much larger than that of particle 2. Interestingly, such classically weak influence leads to the quantum to classical transition of the dynamical behavior of particle 1. Namely, the quantum diffusion of this particle undergoes the transition from dynamical localization to the classically chaotic diffusion with the decrease of the effective Planck constant ℏ eff. The behind physics is due to the growth of entanglement in the system. The classically very weak interaction leads to the exponential decay of purity in condition that the classical dynamics of external degrees freedom is strongly chaotic.