Random matrix models for decoherence and fidelity decay in quantum information systems

This course aims to introduce the student to random matrix models for decoherence and fidelity decay. They present a very powerful alternate approach, that emphasizes the disordered character of many environments and uncontrollable perturbations/couplings. The inherent integrability of such models makes analytic studies possible. We limit our considerations to linear response treatment, as high fidelity and small decoherence are the backbone of quantum information processes. For fidelity decay, where experimental results are available, a comparison with experiments shows excellent agreement with random matrix theory predictions.