Microscopic quantum generalization of classical Liénard oscillators.

Abstract

Based on a system-reservoir model and an appropriate choice of nonlinear coupling, we have explored the microscopic quantum generalization of classical Liénard systems. Making use of oscillator coherent states and canonical thermal distributions of the associated c numbers, we have derived the quantum Langevin equation of the reduced system which admits single or multiple limit cycles. It has been shown that detailed balance in the form of the fluctuation-dissipation relation preserves the dynamical stability of the attractors even in the case of vacuum excitation. The quantum versions of Rayleigh, van der Pol, and several other variants of Liénard oscillators are derived as special cases in our theoretical scheme within a mean-field description.