Bounds on the Speedup in Quantum signalling

Abstract

Given a discrete reversible dynamics, we can define a quantum dynamics, which acts on basis states like the classical one, but also allows for superpositions of them. It is a curious fact that in the quantum version, local changes in the initial state, after a single dynamical step, can sometimes can be detected much farther away than classically. Here we show that this effect is no use for generating faster signals. In a run of many steps the quantum propagation neighborhood can only increase by a constant fringe, so there is no asymptotic increase in speed.