In this paper we propose to use a quantum speed limit (QSL) as a measure of robustness of states, defining a state with a bigger QSL as more robust. From this perspective, it is important to have an explicitly computable QSL, because then we can formulate an engineering problem of the Hamiltonian that makes a target state robust against decoherence. Hence we derive an explicitly computable QSL that is applicable to general Markovian open quantum systems. This QSL is tighter than another explicitly computable QSL, in an important setup such that decoherence is small. Also, the Hamiltonian engineering problem with this QSL is a quadratic convex optimization problem, and thus it is efficiently solvable. The idea of robust state characterization and the Hamiltonian engineering, in terms of the QSL, is demonstrated with several examples.

• Received 6 July 2020
• Accepted 18 September 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.102.042606