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Trajectory-independent speed limits for controlled open quantum systems

James B. Larsen1,2,*, Tameem Albash2, Alicia B. Magann2, and Christian Arenz3

  • *Contact author: jblarsen@umich.edu
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Phys. Rev. A 114, 012439 – Published 16 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/p78c-6p56

Abstract

Existing quantum speed limits for controlled open quantum systems depend on the specified trajectory. For example, lower bounds on quantum annealing times in the presence of dissipation depend explicitly on the chosen annealing schedule. Recently, schedule-independent speed limits have been derived for annealing in the closed quantum system setting [L. P. García-Pintos et al., SciPost Phys. 18, 159 (2025)]. In this work, we generalize these results to open quantum systems, deriving schedule-independent lower bounds for quantum annealing times in systems described by a Lindblad master equation. We analyze the interplay between coherent control and dissipation in single- and two-qubit examples, demonstrating that the derived lower bounds capture key scaling behavior with respect to the strength of the dissipator. Finally, we apply the bound to thermal state preparation and show that the bound matches the expected asymptotic behavior for an Ising model in the high-temperature limit.

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Phys. Rev. A 114, 012439– Published 16 July, 2026
  • Received 30 March 2026
  • Accepted 25 June 2026
Article part of CHORUS
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