MONTE-CARLO WAVE-FUNCTIONS AND NONLINEAR MASTER-EQUATIONS

The Monte Carlo wave-function method has recently proved to be an effi cient tool in the analysis of linear dissipative quantum systems, i.e. , systems with linear equations of motion for their density matrix. We generalize this method to systems with nonlinear master equations of a parametrized Lindblad form, which includes master equations obtained by Hartree-Fock approximations. Convergence properties of the algorit hm are discussed in detail. The method is illustrated by a numerical a nalysis of the bosonic enhancement of laser cooling of trapped particl es.