Riccati equation perspective on Landau-Zener transitions

We express the dynamics of the two probability amplitudes in the elementary Landau-Zener problem in terms of the solution of the corresponding Riccati differential equation and identify three key features: (i) The solution of the Riccati equation provides the bridge between the two probability amplitudes. (ii) Neglecting the nonlinearity in the Riccati equation is equivalent to the Markov approximation which yields the exact asymptotic expression for one of the probability amplitudes. (iii) The Riccati equation identifies the origin of the failure of the Markov approximation not being able to provide us, in general, with the correct asymptotic expression of the other probability amplitude. Our approach relies on approximate yet analytical solutions of the Riccati equation in different time regimes, highlighting the impact of its nonlinear nature on the time evolution of the system.