A Variational Framework for Time-Dependent Quantum Systems with Applications to Floquet Hamiltonians

Abstract

We introduce a variational framework for approximating the time-evolution operator $\hat{U}(t)$ within a physically motivated operator manifold, reformulating quantum dynamics as a tractable problem in operator space using stationary action principle. For periodically driven systems, the resulting approximate evolution operator directly yields an effective Floquet Hamiltonian, offering a non-perturbative alternative to conventional expansion-based methods. The framework is systematically improvable by enlarging the operator pool and naturally incorporates symmetries and physical constraints. When the operator manifold is chosen from the terms of a truncated Magnus expansion, the variational procedure effectively resums the Magnus series within the restricted space, significantly enhancing accuracy. We benchmark the approach on the driven Rabi model, the driven Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model, and the one-dimensional driven Ising chain, yielding effective Floquet Hamiltonians that are systematically more accurate than low-order Magnus expansions, particularly in regimes where the latter converge poorly, and illustrating applicability to systems with exponentially large Hilbert spaces. Although we focus here on Floquet systems, the formalism applies equally to generic time-dependent Hamiltonians, providing a versatile tool for non-equilibrium quantum dynamics.