Time-optimal quantum dynamics under fixed-norm generators

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of quantum systems whose evolution is governed by linear generators of fixed unitarily invariant norm. For this broad class of evolutions, we derive a universal time-optimal generator of the dynamics converting one given state into another. It provides a time-optimal non-Hermitian Hamiltonian for pure state conversion. We then use this general result to derive quantum speed limits for mixed-state evolutions governed by Lindbladians and non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. Our findings follow from the geometric properties of the group $GL(n,\mathbb{C})$, in particular the geodesic distance. The derived bounds hold for an arbitrary system size $n$, depend only on the norms of the evolution generator and the initial and final states, and do not require performing any time-averaging.