Optimizing adiabaticity in quantum mechanics

Abstract

A condition on the Hamiltonian of an isospectral time-dependent quantum mechanical system is derived, which, if satisfied, implies optimal adiabaticity (defined later). The condition is expressed in terms of the Hamiltonian and the evolution operator related to it. Because the latter depends in a complicated way on the Hamiltonian, it is not yet clear how the condition can be used to extract useful information about the optimal Hamiltonian analytically. The condition is tested on an exactly-soluble time-dependent problem (a spin in a magnetic field), where perfectly adiabatic evolution can be easily identified.