Heavy-tailed open quantum systems reveal long-lived and ultrasensitive coherence

Abstract

Understanding random open quantum systems is critical for characterizing the performance of large-scale quantum devices and exploring macroscopic quantum phenomena. Various features in these systems, including spectral distributions, gap scaling, and decoherence, have been examined by modelling randomness under the central limit theorem. Here, we investigate random open quantum systems beyond the central limit theorem, focusing on heavy-tailed system-environment interactions. By extending the Ginibre unitary ensemble, we model system-environment interactions to exhibit a continuous transition from light-tailed to heavy-tailed distributions. This generalized configuration reveals unique properties-gapless spectra, Pareto principle governing dissipation, orthogonalization, and quasi-degeneracies-all linked to the violation of the central limit theorem. The synergy of these features challenges the common belief-the tradeoff between stability and sensitivity-through the emergence of long-lived and ultrasensitive quantum coherences that exhibit an enhancement of two orders of magnitude compared to predictions under the central limit theorem. The result, which is based on heavy-tailedness of open quantum systems, provides highly desirable platforms for quantum sensing applications.