Shortcuts to thermodynamic quasistaticity

TL;DR

This paper introduces a thermodynamics-inspired approach to develop approximate shortcuts to adiabaticity for complex quantum systems, focusing on macrostate preservation rather than microstate control, demonstrated on the quantum Ising chain.

Contribution

It proposes a macrostate-focused method for shortcuts to adiabaticity, extending the applicability of such techniques to a broader class of quantum systems.

Findings

Improved fast quasiadiabatic driving techniques.

Application to the quantum Ising chain in transverse field.

Systematic corrections from adiabatic perturbation theory.

Abstract

The operation of near-term quantum technologies requires the development of feasible, implementable, and robust strategies of controlling complex many body systems. To this end, a variety of techniques, so-called "shortcuts to adiabaticty", have been developed. Many of these shortcuts have already been demonstrated to be powerful and implementable in distinct scenarios. Yet, it is often also desirable to have additional, approximate strategies available, that are applicable to a large class of systems. In this work, we hence take inspiration from thermodynamics and propose to focus on the macrostate, rather than the microstate. Adiabatic dynamics can then be identified as such processes that preserve the equation of state, and systematic corrections are obtained from adiabatic perturbation theory. We demonstrate this approach by improving upon fast quasiadiabatic driving, and by applying the method to the quantum Ising chain in the transverse field.