speed limits

The world is a cluttered, noisy place, and the ability to effectively focus is a valuable skill. Researchers at JQI have identified a new way to focus their attention and obtain useful insights into the way information associated with a configuration of interacting particles gets dispersed and effectively lost over time. Their technique focuses on a single feature that describes how various amounts of energy can be held by different configurations a quantum system. The approach provides insight into how a collection of quantum particles can evolve without the researchers having to grapple with the intricacies of the interactions that make the system change over time.

Researchers studying quantum technologies are exploring uncharted territory. Sometimes, theorists can streamline progress by spotting roadblocks in the distance or identifying the rules of the road. For instance, researchers have found several quantum speed limits and developed protocols for quantum computers that achieve the best possible speeds for specific cases. To make calculating the limits easier, physicists have mostly neglected the influence of disorder. Now, JQI researchers are facing down the impact disorder has on speed limits.

A group of UMD researchers—in collaboration with teams at the University of Colorado Boulder, Caltech, and the Colorado School of Mines, have found something surprising: the speed limit for quantum information can depend on the task at hand.