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Shortcuts to adiabaticity
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<p>Shortcuts to adiabaticity (STA) are fast control protocols to drive the dynamics of system without relying on the <a href="/facts/Adiabatic_theorem/ElgEg4YQ">adiabatic theorem</a>. The concept of STA was introduced in a 2010 paper by Xi Chen et al. Their design can be achieved using a variety of techniques. A universal approach is provided by counterdiabatic driving, also known as transitionless quantum driving. Motivated by one of authors systematic study of dissipative Landau-Zener transition, the key idea was demonstrated earlier by a group of scientists from China, Greece and USA in 2000, as steering an eigenstate to destination. Counterdiabatic driving has been demonstrated in the laboratory using a time-dependent <a href="/facts/Quantum_oscillator/JYA5J0h5">quantum oscillator</a>. </p><p>The use of counterdiabatic driving requires to diagonalize the system Hamiltonian, limiting its use in many-particle systems. In the control of trapped quantum fluids, the use of symmetries such as <a href="/facts/Scale_invariance/S96sxg2R">scale invariance</a> and the associated conserved quantities has allowed to circumvent this requirement. STA have also found applications in finite-time <a href="/facts/Quantum_thermodynamics/V0wDvKPH">quantum thermodynamics</a> to suppress quantum friction. Fast nonadiabatic strokes of a quantum engine have been implemented using a three-dimensional interacting <a href="/facts/Fermi_gas/D00lFTqW">Fermi gas</a>. </p><p>The use of STA has also been suggested to drive a <a href="/facts/Quantum_phase_transition/XP5W2kYs">quantum phase transition</a>. In this context, the <a href="/facts/Kibble-Zurek_mechanism/bBG1nToU">Kibble-Zurek mechanism</a> predicts the formation of topological defects. While the implementation of counterdiabatic driving across a phase transition requires complex many-body interactions, feasible approximate controls can be found. </p><p>Outside of physics, STA have been applied to population genetics to derive a formalism to admit finite time control of the speed and trajectory in evolving populations, with an eye towards manipulating large populations of organisms causing human disease as an <a href="/facts/Evolutionary_therapy/hdSLw0T7">evolutionary therapy</a> method, or toward more efficient <a href="/facts/Directed_evolution/DYJs0Hm2">directed evolution</a>. </p>