Fast-forwarding of Hamiltonians and Exponentially Precise Measurements

Abstract

In the early days of quantum mechanics, it was believed that the time energy uncertainty principle (TEUP) bounds the efficiency of energy measurements, relating the duration ($\Delta t$) of the measurement, and its accuracy error ($\Delta E$) by $\Delta t\Delta E \ge$ 1/2. In 1961 Y. Aharonov and Bohm gave a counterexample, whereas Aharonov, Massar and Popescu [2002] showed that under certain conditions the principle holds. Can we classify when and to what extent the TEUP is violated? Our main theorem asserts that such violations are in one to one correspondence with the ability to "fast forward" the associated Hamiltonian, namely, to simulate its evolution for time $t$ using much less than $t$ quantum gates. This intriguingly links precision measurements with quantum algorithms. Our theorem is stated in terms of a modified TEUP, which we call the computational TEUP (cTEUP). In this principle the time duration ($\Delta t$) is replaced by the number of quantum gates required to perform the measurement, and we argue why this is more suitable to study if one is to understand the totality of physical resources required to perform an accurate measurement. The inspiration for this result is a family of Hamiltonians we construct, based on Shor's algorithm, which exponentially violate the cTEUP (and the TEUP), thus allowing exponential fast forwarding. We further show that commuting local Hamiltonians and quadratic Hamiltonians of fermions (e.g., Anderson localization model), can be fast forwarded. The work raises the question of finding a physical criterion for fast forwarding, in particular, can many body localization systems be fast forwarded? We rule out a general fast-forwarding method for all physically realizable Hamiltonians (unless BQP=PSPACE). Connections to quantum metrology and to Susskind's complexification of a wormhole's length are discussed.