Speed limit for open systems coupled to general environments

Naoto Shiraishi, Keiji Saito

Published 2020-02-27Version 1

In this study, we investigate the bound on the speed of state transformation in the quantum and classical systems that are coupled to general environment with arbitrary coupling interactions. We show that a Mandelstam-Tamm type speed limit exists and energy fluctuation still plays a crucial role in this speed limit inequality for open quantum systems. The energy fluctuation of the target system in addition to the coupling to the environment is key in the inequality. We also present the classical version of the speed limit for open systems. As potential applications of the proposed speed limit expression, we discuss the fundamental limitation of the state change in quantum cyclic engines and the equilibriation time required for the thermalization phenomena of isolated quantum systems.