Optimal light cone for macroscopic particle transport in long-range systems: A quantum speed limit approach

Abstract

Understanding the ultimate rate at which information propagates is a pivotal issue in nonequilibrium physics. Nevertheless, the task of elucidating the propagation speed inherent in quantum bosonic systems presents challenges due to the unbounded nature of their interactions. In this study, we tackle the problem of macroscopic particle transport in a long-range generalization of the lattice Bose-Hubbard model through the lens of the quantum speed limit. By developing a unified approach based on optimal transport theory, we rigorously prove that the minimum time required for macroscopic particle transport is always bounded by the distance between the source and target regions, while retaining its significance even in the thermodynamic limit. Furthermore, we derive an upper bound for the probability of observing a specific number of bosons inside the target region, thereby providing additional insights into the dynamics of particle transport. Our results hold true for arbitrary initial states under both long-range hopping and long-range interactions, thus resolving an open problem of particle transport in generic bosonic systems.