Localization-enhanced dissipation in a generalized Aubry-André-Harper model coupled with Ohmic baths

•An exact study of the open dynamics in a generalized Aubry-André-Harper model coupled with Ohmic baths.•The coupling to the common bath induces the interference of the energy levels in the system.•The strong localization in the system can enhance the dissipation of excitation. In this work, the exact dynamics of excitation in the generalized Aubry-André-Harper model coupled with an Ohmic-type environment is discussed by evaluating the survival probability and inverse participation ratio of the state of system. In contrast to the common belief that localization will preserve the information of the initial state in the system against dissipation into the environment, our study found that strong localization can enhance the dissipation of quantum information instead. By a thorough examination of the dynamics, we show that the coherent transition between the energy state of system is crucial for understanding this unusual behavior. Under this circumstance, the coupling induced energy exchange between the system and its environment can induce the periodic population of excitation on the states of system. As a result, the stable or localization-enhanced decaying of excitation can be observed, dependent on the energy difference between the states of system. This point is verified in further by checking the varying of dynamics of excitation in the system when the coupling between the system and environment is more strong.