We use analytical and numerical calculations to obtain speed limits for various unitary quantum operations in multiqubit systems under typical experimental conditions. The operations that we consider include single-, two-, and three-qubit gates, as well as quantum-state transfer in a chain of qubits. We find in particular that simple methods for implementing two-qubit gates generally provide the fastest possible implementations of these gates. We also find that the three-qubit Toffoli gate time varies greatly depending on the type of interactions and the system's geometry, taking only slightly longer than a two-qubit controlled-not (cnot) gate for a triangle geometry. The speed limit for quantum-state transfer across a qubit chain is set by the maximum spin-wave speed in the chain.

• Received 6 December 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.85.052327