Quantum-corrected Floquet dynamics in the Rabi model

Abstract: Semiclassical descriptions of the dynamics of a few-level system coupled to a mode of the electromagnetic field which effectively reduce the contribution of the field to a time-dependent term in the Hamiltonian of the few-level system are widely used. For example, such an approach is typically taken in quantum control applications. However, the underlying quantum character of the field will lead to corrections to the semiclassical dynamics which, given sufficient time, can lead to significant changes. Here we develop an approach for calculating these quantum corrections systematically, building on the time-dependent Floquet dynamics that emerges in the semiclassical limit. Using the Rabi model of a spin--field system as an illustrative example, we obtain approximate analytic expressions for the first-order quantum corrections to the semiclassical dynamics of the spin for a range of initial field states. These expressions describe the initial stages of the full quantum dynamics accurately, though they eventually fail for sufficiently long times. Our work has relevance both for understanding the fundamental properties of emergent semiclassical behavior and as a potential tool for assessing corrections to semiclassical control techniques.