Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1611.09220 · International Journal of Foundations of Computer Science

The Geometry of Speed Limiting Resources in Physical Models of Computation

Benjamin Russell, Susan Stepney

Published Jun 1, 2017• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study the maximum speed of quantum computation and how it is affected by limitations on physical resources. We show how the resulting concepts generalize to a broader class of physical models of computation within dynamical systems and introduce a specific algebraic structure representing these speed limits. We derive a family of quantum speed limit results in resource-constrained quantum systems with pure states and a finite dimensional state space, by using a geometric method based on right invariant action functionals on [Formula: see text]. We show that when the action functional is bi-invariant, the minimum time for implementing any quantum gate using a potentially time-dependent Hamiltonian is equal to the minimum time when using a constant Hamiltonian, thus constant Hamiltonians are time optimal for these constraints. We give an explicit formula for the time in these cases, in terms of the resource constraint. We show how our method produces a rich family of speed limit results, of which the generalized Margolus–Levitin theorem and the Mandelstam–Tamm inequality are special cases. We discuss the broader context of geometric approaches to speed limits in physical computation, including the way geometric approaches to quantum speed limits are a model for physical speed limits to computation arising from a limited resource.

DOI
10.1142/s0129054117500204

Related papers

A Geometrical Derivation of a Family of Quantum Speed Limit Results

Benjamin Russell, Susan Stepney

We derive a family of quantum speed limit results in time independent systems with pure states and a finite dimensional state space, by using a geometric method based on right invariant action functionals on SU(N). The method relates speed limits for implementing quantum gates to bounds on orthogonality times. We reproduce the known result of the Margolus-Levitin theorem, and a known generalisation of the Margolis-Levitin theorem, as special cases of our method, which produces a rich family of other similar speed limit formulas corresponding to positive homogeneous functions on su(n). We discuss the general relationship between speed limits for controlling a quantum state and a system's time evolution operator.

arXiv:1410.3209•Oct 13, 2014•4 citations

Quantum speed limits and optimal hamiltonians for driven systems in mixed states

Ole Sönnerborn, Hoshang Heydari

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.

•Aug 15, 2016•33 citations

Quantum speed limits and optimal Hamiltonians for driven systems in mixed states

O Andersson, Hoshang Heydari

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.

arXiv:1312.6268•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•May 7, 2014•52 citations

Margolus-Levitin quantum speed limit for an arbitrary fidelity

Niklas Hörnedal, Ole Sönnerborn

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.

arXiv:2301.10063•Physical Review Research•Dec 12, 2023•14 citations

Unified fidelity-based framework for quantum speed limits in open quantum systems

Tristán M. Osán, Yanet Álvarez, M. Portesi +1 more

In this work, we investigate the role of functionals of generalized fidelity measures in deriving quantum speed limits (QSLs) within a geometric approach. We establish a general theoretical framework and show that, once a specific generalized fidelity is selected, the resulting Margolus-Levitin and Mandelstam-Tamm QSLs for both unitary and nonunitary (Lindblad-type) dynamics depend solely on the chosen fidelity measure. We prove that any monotone, differentiable reparametrization of the chosen fidelity yields exactly the same Margolus-Levitin and Mandelstam-Tamm-type QSL, rendering the QSLs invariant under such transformations and thereby unifying fidelity- and metric-induced geometric formulations. This result highlights the limitations of improving QSLs through functional transformations of fidelity and indicates that genuine improvements must arise from alternative fidelity definitions. We further show that several QSLs reported in the literature are encompassed by our framework and discuss possible extensions based on other generalized fidelity measures beyond those explicitly analyzed. In addition, we consider the damped Jaynes-Cummings model as a concrete physical setting to explore the behavior of the QSLs discussed in this work and analyze their regime-dependent features.

arXiv:2509.04283•Physical Review A•Jan 26, 2026•0 citations

Geometric Control For Analysing the Quantum Speed Limit and the Physical Limitations of Computers

Benjamin Russell

This thesis studies the role of Finsler geometry in quantum time optimal control of systems with constrained control field power and other constraints. The systems considered are all finite dimensional systems with pure states. A Finsler metric is constructed such that its geodesics are the time optimal trajectories for the quantum time evolution operator on the special unitary group. This metric is shown to be right invariant. The geodesic equation, in the form of an Euler-Poincar\\'{e} equation is found. It is also shown that the geodesic lengths of this same metric equal the optimal times for implementing any desired quantum gate. In a special case, where all are control fields are equally constrained, the desired geodesics are found in closed form. The results obtained are discussed in the general context of natural computation.

•Feb 1, 2015•0 citations
We study the maximum speed of quantum computation and how it is affected by limitations on physical resources. We show how the resulting concepts generalize to a broader class of physical models of computation within dynamical systems and introduce a specific algebraic structure representing these speed limits. We derive a family of quantum speed limit results in resource-constrained quantum systems with pure states and a finite dimensional state space, by using a geometric method based on right invariant action functionals on [Formula: see text]. We show that when the action functional is bi-invariant, the minimum time for implementing any quantum gate using a potentially time-dependent Hamiltonian is equal to the minimum time when using a constant Hamiltonian, thus constant Hamiltonians are time optimal for these constraints. We give an explicit formula for the time in these cases, in terms of the resource constraint. We show how our method produces a rich family of speed limit results, of which the generalized Margolus–Levitin theorem and the Mandelstam–Tamm inequality are special cases. We discuss the broader context of geometric approaches to speed limits in physical computation, including the way geometric approaches to quantum speed limits are a model for physical speed limits to computation arising from a limited resource.
We derive a family of quantum speed limit results in time independent systems with pure states and a finite dimensional state space, by using a geometric method based on right invariant action functionals on SU(N). The method relates speed limits for implementing quantum gates to bounds on orthogonality times. We reproduce the known result of the Margolus-Levitin theorem, and a known generalisation of the Margolis-Levitin theorem, as special cases of our method, which produces a rich family of other similar speed limit formulas corresponding to positive homogeneous functions on su(n). We discuss the general relationship between speed limits for controlling a quantum state and a system's time evolution operator.
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.
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.
In this work, we investigate the role of functionals of generalized fidelity measures in deriving quantum speed limits (QSLs) within a geometric approach. We establish a general theoretical framework and show that, once a specific generalized fidelity is selected, the resulting Margolus-Levitin and Mandelstam-Tamm QSLs for both unitary and nonunitary (Lindblad-type) dynamics depend solely on the chosen fidelity measure. We prove that any monotone, differentiable reparametrization of the chosen fidelity yields exactly the same Margolus-Levitin and Mandelstam-Tamm-type QSL, rendering the QSLs invariant under such transformations and thereby unifying fidelity- and metric-induced geometric formulations. This result highlights the limitations of improving QSLs through functional transformations of fidelity and indicates that genuine improvements must arise from alternative fidelity definitions. We further show that several QSLs reported in the literature are encompassed by our framework and discuss possible extensions based on other generalized fidelity measures beyond those explicitly analyzed. In addition, we consider the damped Jaynes-Cummings model as a concrete physical setting to explore the behavior of the QSLs discussed in this work and analyze their regime-dependent features.
This thesis studies the role of Finsler geometry in quantum time optimal control of systems with constrained control field power and other constraints. The systems considered are all finite dimensional systems with pure states. A Finsler metric is constructed such that its geodesics are the time optimal trajectories for the quantum time evolution operator on the special unitary group. This metric is shown to be right invariant. The geodesic equation, in the form of an Euler-Poincar\\'{e} equation is found. It is also shown that the geodesic lengths of this same metric equal the optimal times for implementing any desired quantum gate. In a special case, where all are control fields are equally constrained, the desired geodesics are found in closed form. The results obtained are discussed in the general context of natural computation.