A composite quantum channel is derived for two independent quantum systems that interact sequentially with a common environment. One of the two quantum systems first interacts with the environment for a finite time, and after that the other one interacts with the same environment. In the process, the environment does not simultaneously interact with the two quantum systems. It is important to note that the second quantum system interacts with the environment that has been disturbed by the first one. As a result, the correlation between the two quantum systems, not directly interacting with each other, is created through the environment. An approximation to the composite quantum channel is also provided, which is applicable if a correlation time of the environment is not so long. When two independent qubits interact sequentially with a common bosonic environment via a dephasing coupling, it is explicitly shown that the time evolution of the second qubit can be non-Markovian due to the disturbance effect caused by the first qubit, even if the time evolution of the first qubit is Markovian. Entanglement, total, classical, and quantum correlations are calculated to find how the disturbance affects bipartite correlations. Furthermore, in state transmission through the composite quantum channel, it is found that the fidelity of quantum states can be enhanced by the disturbance effect.

• Received 28 October 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.99.012116