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arXiv:1207.2208 · Physical Review A

Comment on “Geometric derivation of the quantum speed limit”

Marcin Zwierz

Published Jul 9, 2012• 72 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Recently, Jones and Kok [Jones and Kok, Phys. Rev. A 82, 022107 (2010)] presented alternative geometric derivations of the Mandelstam-Tamm [Mandelstam and Tamm, J. Phys. (USSR) 9, 249 (1945)] and Margolus-Levitin [Margolus and Levitin, Phys. D 120, 188 (1998)] inequalities for the quantum speed of dynamical evolution. The Margolus-Levitin inequality followed from an upper bound on the rate of change of the statistical distance between two arbitrary pure quantum states. We show that the derivation of this bound is incorrect. Subsequently, we provide two upper bounds on the rate of change of the statistical distance, expressed in terms of the standard deviation of the generator $K$ and its expectation value above the ground state. The bounds lead to the Mandelstam-Tamm inequality and a quantum speed limit which is only slightly weaker than the Margolus-Levitin inequality.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.86.016101

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Recently, Jones and Kok [Jones and Kok, Phys. Rev. A 82, 022107 (2010)] presented alternative geometric derivations of the Mandelstam-Tamm [Mandelstam and Tamm, J. Phys. (USSR) 9, 249 (1945)] and Margolus-Levitin [Margolus and Levitin, Phys. D 120, 188 (1998)] inequalities for the quantum speed of dynamical evolution. The Margolus-Levitin inequality followed from an upper bound on the rate of change of the statistical distance between two arbitrary pure quantum states. We show that the derivation of this bound is incorrect. Subsequently, we provide two upper bounds on the rate of change of the statistical distance, expressed in terms of the standard deviation of the generator KKK and its expectation value above the ground state. The bounds lead to the Mandelstam-Tamm inequality and a quantum speed limit which is only slightly weaker than the Margolus-Levitin inequality.
The Mandelstam-Tamm and Margolus-Levitin inequalities play an important role in the study of quantum-mechanical processes in nature since they provide general limits on the speed of dynamical evolution. However, to date there has been only one derivation of the Margolus-Levitin inequality. In this paper, alternative geometric derivations for both inequalities are obtained from the statistical distance between quantum states. The inequalities are shown to hold for unitary evolution of pure and mixed states, and a counterexample to the inequalities is given for evolution described by completely positive trace-preserving maps. The counterexample shows that there is no quantum speed limit for nonunitary evolution.
Abstract For vanishing fidelity between initial and final states, two important quantum speed limits, the Mandelstam–Tamm limit (involving energy dispersion) and Margolus–Levitin one (involving excitation energy expectation value), have been derived. While the generalization of the former limit to the case of arbitrary fidelity is straightforward, the relevant generalization of the latter given in the seminal paper by Giovanetti et al. (Phys Rev A67:052109, 2003) was based on the conjectured equality of lower and upper bounds on the right-hand side of generalized Margolus–Levitin inequality, verified numerically up to seven digits. Only recently there appear two proofs of the conjecture. We provide below a very elementary new proof, based on the simplest tools from differential calculus. Thus, the generalized Margolus–Levitin speed limit can be derived much in the spirit of the original one valid for vanishing fidelity.
The Mandelstam-Tamm and Margolus-Levitin quantum speed limits are two well-known evolution time estimates for isolated quantum systems. These bounds are usually formulated for fully distinguishable initial and final states, but both have tight extensions to systems that evolve between states with an arbitrary fidelity. However, the foundations of these extensions differ in some essential respects. The extended Mandelstam-Tamm quantum speed limit has been proven analytically and has a clear geometric interpretation. Furthermore, which systems saturate the limit is known. The derivation of the extended Margolus-Levitin quantum speed limit, on the other hand, is based on numerical estimates. Moreover, the limit lacks a geometric interpretation, and no complete characterization of the systems reaching it exists. In this paper, we derive the extended Margolus-Levitin quantum speed limit analytically and describe the systems that saturate the limit in detail. We also provide the limit with a symplectic-geometric interpretation, which indicates that it is of a different character than most existing quantum speed limits. At the end of the paper, we analyze the maximum of the extended Mandelstam-Tamm and Margolus-Levitin quantum speed limits and derive a dual version of the extended Margolus-Levitin quantum speed limit. The maximum limit is tight regardless of the fidelity of the initial and final states. However, the conditions under which the maximum limit is saturated differ depending on whether or not the initial state and the final state are fully distinguishable. The dual limit is also tight and follows from a time reversal argument. We describe the systems that saturate the dual quantum speed limit.
Abstract. Inequalities of Mandelstam-Tamm and Margolus-Levitin type provide lower bounds on the time it takes for a quantum system to evolve from one state into another. Knowledge of such bounds, called quantum speed limits, is of utmost importance in virtually all areas of physics, where determination of the minimum time required for a quantum process is of interest. Most Mandelstam-Tamm and Margolus-Levitin inequalities found in the literature have been derived from growth estimates for the Bures length, which is a statistical distance measure. In this paper we derive such inequalities by differential geometric methods, and we compare the obtained quantum speed limits with those involving the Bures length. We also characterize the Hamiltonians which optimize the evolution time for generic finite-level quantum systems. 1.
Inequalities of Mandelstam–Tamm (MT) and Margolus–Levitin (ML) type provide lower bounds on the time that it takes for a quantum system to evolve from one state into another. Knowledge of such bounds, called quantum speed limits, is of utmost importance in virtually all areas of physics, where determination of the minimum time required for a quantum process is of interest. Most MT and ML inequalities found in the literature have been derived from growth estimates for the Bures length, which is a statistical distance measure. In this paper we derive such inequalities by differential geometric methods, and we compare the quantum speed limits obtained with those involving the Bures length. We also characterize the Hamiltonians which optimize the evolution time for generic finite-level quantum systems.