Hierarchical Theory of Quantum Adiabatic Evolution

Abstract: Quantum adiabatic evolution is a dynamical evolution of a quantum system under slow external driving. According to the quantum adiabatic theorem, no transitions occur between non-degenerate instantaneous eigen-energy levels in such a dynamical evolution. However, this is true only when the driving rate is infinitesimally small. For a small nonzero driving rate, there are generally small transition probabilities between the energy levels. We develop a classical mechanics framework to address the small deviations from the quantum adiabatic theorem order by order. A hierarchy of Hamiltonians are constructed iteratively with the zeroth-order Hamiltonian being determined by the original system Hamiltonian. The $k$th-order deviations are governed by a $k$th-order Hamiltonian, which depends on the time derivatives of the adiabatic parameters up to the $k$th-order. Two simple examples, the Landau-Zener model and a spin-1/2 particle in a rotating magnetic field, are used to illustrate our hierarchical theory. Our analysis also exposes a deep, previously unknown connection between classical adiabatic theory and quantum adiabatic theory.