Chintalpati Umashankar Shastry
Academic and research departments
Open quantum systems and quantum thermodynamics, Open quantum systems in quantum biology.About
My research project
Open Quantum system approach to study the Thermodynamical properties of off-eqilibrium living cellsIn this project I am working as a Postgraduate Researcher with Dr Andrea Rocco and Prof Alessandro Torrielli, in the School of Mathematics and Physicss at the University of Surrey. In this project we aim to investigate how life maintains its highly ordered, low-entropy, far-from-equilibrium dynamical state. We will adopt open quantum systems theory and quantum thermodynamics to make predictions that may be used to assess the underlying classical and quantum dynamics of physical and biological systems. We will focus on systems with memory effects and identify deviations from standard thermodynamics, which may require reformulations of entropy functions and fluctuation-dissipation relations. Analysis of these deviations is expected to shed light on the fundamental differences between living and non-living systems.
Supervisors
In this project I am working as a Postgraduate Researcher with Dr Andrea Rocco and Prof Alessandro Torrielli, in the School of Mathematics and Physicss at the University of Surrey. In this project we aim to investigate how life maintains its highly ordered, low-entropy, far-from-equilibrium dynamical state. We will adopt open quantum systems theory and quantum thermodynamics to make predictions that may be used to assess the underlying classical and quantum dynamics of physical and biological systems. We will focus on systems with memory effects and identify deviations from standard thermodynamics, which may require reformulations of entropy functions and fluctuation-dissipation relations. Analysis of these deviations is expected to shed light on the fundamental differences between living and non-living systems.
My qualifications
ResearchResearch interests
My PhD research explores fundamental questions in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and open quantum systems, with a particular focus on the microscopic foundations of entropy and the emergence of classical behaviour from quantum dynamics.
Research projects
Dynamical Definition of EntropyHere I investigate whether the functional form of entropy can be derived directly from the microscopic dynamics of a system rather than assumed a priori. By combining information theory with molecular dynamics and the BBGKY hierarchy, I treat the measure of information associated with simultaneous measurements as a dynamical quantity whose functional form can be determined from the governing statistical equations. The broader aim is to establish a dynamical foundation for entropy in which the appropriate entropy functional emerges from the underlying equations of motion.
Non-Perturbative Renormalisation Group in Open Quantum SystemsIn this project I am developing a Non-Perturbative Renormalisation Group (NPRG) framework to study open quantum systems and quantum-to-classical transitions. Using the Caldeira–Leggett model, I investigate how dissipation and decoherence can be incorporated into the renormalisation-group description through a generalised Wegner–Houghton equation. This work aims to extend conventional RG approaches to explicitly account for environmental effects and examine their role in the emergence of classical behaviour, including within the Local Potential Approximation.
Research interests
My PhD research explores fundamental questions in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and open quantum systems, with a particular focus on the microscopic foundations of entropy and the emergence of classical behaviour from quantum dynamics.
Research projects
Here I investigate whether the functional form of entropy can be derived directly from the microscopic dynamics of a system rather than assumed a priori. By combining information theory with molecular dynamics and the BBGKY hierarchy, I treat the measure of information associated with simultaneous measurements as a dynamical quantity whose functional form can be determined from the governing statistical equations. The broader aim is to establish a dynamical foundation for entropy in which the appropriate entropy functional emerges from the underlying equations of motion.
In this project I am developing a Non-Perturbative Renormalisation Group (NPRG) framework to study open quantum systems and quantum-to-classical transitions. Using the Caldeira–Leggett model, I investigate how dissipation and decoherence can be incorporated into the renormalisation-group description through a generalised Wegner–Houghton equation. This work aims to extend conventional RG approaches to explicitly account for environmental effects and examine their role in the emergence of classical behaviour, including within the Local Potential Approximation.
Teaching
Assistant Laboratory Demonstrator, Scientific Investigation Skills (PHY1035)
I supported first-year students during computational laboratory sessions, helping them translate mathematical problems into Python programs and generate numerical and graphical results. My teaching involved guiding students through coding, debugging, testing, and the interpretation of computational exercises. I also explained core programming concepts and provided individual support where needed, adapting explanations to different levels of experience and understanding.
Assistant Tutorial Demonstrator, Topics in Theoretical Physics (PHYM039)
I supported master’s-level tutorials in mathematical physics, covering topics including functions of complex variables, calculus of variations, and integral transforms. During tutorials, I guided students through advanced mathematical-physics problems and the application of theoretical methods to physical systems. I facilitated discussion of problem sheets, clarified challenging concepts, and encouraged students to develop independent analytical reasoning and a deeper understanding of the mathematical techniques used in physics.
Assistant Laboratory Demonstrator, General Relativity (PHYM053)
I supported students with Python programming for computational exercises in general relativity, helping them implement and interpret numerical models of relativistic systems. This included simulations of Mercury’s perihelion precession and stellar orbits near the Galactic Centre. During these sessions, I assisted students with scientific programming, numerical modelling, computational troubleshooting, and the interpretation of physical results, while helping to clarify the underlying concepts of general relativity.
Small Group Tutorials
I led tutorial classes of 10–12 first-year students in Properties of Matter and Atoms and Quanta. The tutorials focused on numerical and conceptual problem-solving in areas including thermodynamics, introductory quantum mechanics, and atomic physics. I adapted explanations to different levels of understanding, encouraged active participation, and addressed misconceptions as they arose. I also marked student work and provided clear, constructive feedback to support their academic development.
Publications
Deriving an arrow of time from time-reversal symmetric microscopic dynamics is a fundamental open problem in many areas of physics, ranging from cosmology, to particle physics, to thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Here we focus on the derivation of the arrow of time in open quantum systems and study precisely how time-reversal symmetry is broken. This derivation involves the Markov approximation applied to a system interacting with an infinite heat bath. We find that the Markov approximation does not imply a violation of time-reversal symmetry. Our results show instead that the time-reversal symmetry is maintained in the derived equations of motion. This imposes a time-symmetric formulation of quantum Brownian motion, Lindblad and Pauli master equations, which hence describe thermalisation that may occur into two opposing time directions. As a consequence, we argue that these dynamics are better described by a time-symmetric definition of Markovianity. Our results may reflect on the formulations of the arrow of time in thermodynamics, cosmology, and quantum mechanics.