Variational ground-state quantum adiabatic theorem

Žunkovič, Bojan (author), Torta, Pietro (author), Pecci, Giovanni (author), Lami, Guglielmo (author), Collura, Mario (author)

We present a variational quantum adiabatic theorem, which states that, under certain assumptions, the adiabatic dynamics projected onto a variational manifold follow the instantaneous variational ground state. We focus on low-entanglement variational manifolds and target Hamiltonians with classical ground states. Despite highly entangled intermediate states along the exact adiabatic path, the variational evolution converges to the target ground state. We demonstrate this approach with several examples that align with our theoretical analysis.

• Language: English
• Keywords: adiabatic quantum optimization, quantum algorithms, quantum algorithms and computation, adiabatic approximation, variational approach
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FRI - Faculty of Computer and Information Science
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 1-9
• Numbering: Vol. 134, iss. 13, art. 130601
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171584
• UDC: 004
• ISSN on article: 0031-9007
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.130601
• COBISS.SI-ID: 230918403
• Publication date in RUL: 28.08.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Physical review letters
• Shortened title: Phys. rev. lett.
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• ISSN: 0031-9007
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1282575

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: adiabatna kvantna optimizacija, kvantni algoritmi, kvantni algoritmi in računanje, adiabatska aproksimacija, variacijski pristop