Shortcut to adiabaticity in a cavity with a moving mirror

Abstract

Shortcuts to adiabaticity constitute a powerful alternative that speed up time evolution while mimicking adiabatic dynamics. In this paper we describe how to implement shortcuts to adiabaticity for the case of a massless scalar field inside a cavity with a moving wall, in 1+1 dimensions. The approach is based on the known solution to the problem that exploits the conformal symmetry, and the shortcuts take place whenever there is no dynamical Casimir effect. We obtain a fundamental limit for the efficiency of an Otto cycle with the quantum field as a working system, that depends on the maximum velocity that the mirror can attain. We describe possible experimental realizations of the shortcuts using superconducting circuits.