Beating Hermitian Speed Limits for Entanglement Generation via Exceptional Points in a Trapped-Ion System.
W F Yuan, B B Liu, N Li, G Y Ding, W Q Ding, H J Du, J C Li, G Chen, H Jing, F Zhou, Shi-Lei Su, M Feng
Entanglement generation is a cornerstone of quantum information science, yet its speed in Hermitian systems is fundamentally constrained by the coupling strength, a restriction known as the quantum speed limit. Here we demonstrate that this bound can be beaten by exploiting the unique topology of non-Hermitian systems near exceptional points (EPs). Using a pair of trapped ions, we engineer a parity-time symmetric Hamiltonian where the coalescence of eigenstates near the EP distorts the Hilbert space geometry, providing a shortcut for quantum state evolution. We observe that, as the system approaches the EP, the time required to generate a maximally entangled state is markedly reduced with respect to the limits imposed by the equivalent Hermitian interaction. We further uncover a fundamental physical trade-off whereby the acceleration of entanglement is intrinsically coupled to a reduction in the success probability, revealing the information cost of non-Hermitian speedup. Our results suggest that tailored dissipation, rather than being a source of decoherence, can serve as a powerful resource for accelerating quantum dynamics, offering a new paradigm for designing high-speed quantum gates and sensors in hardware-constrained platforms.
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