Practical limitations of the switching theorem for adiabatic state preparation

Abstract The viability of adiabatic quantum computation depends on the slow evolution of the Hamiltonian. The adiabatic switching theorem provides an asymptotic series for error estimates in 1/ T , based on the lowest nonzero derivative of the Hamiltonian and its eigenvalues at the endpoints. Modifications at the endpoints in practical implementations can modify this scaling behavior, suggesting opportunities for error reduction by altering endpoint behavior while keeping intermediate evolution largely unchanged. Such modifications can significantly reduce errors for long evolution times, but they may also require exceedingly long timescales to reach the hyperadiabatic regime, limiting their practicality. This paper explores the transition between the adiabatic and hyperadiabatic regimes in simple low-dimensional Hamiltonians, highlighting the impact of modifications of the endpoints on approaching the asymptotic behavior described by the switching theorem. Graphical abstract