Dynamics of an inhomogeneous quantum phase transition

I will discuss a second order quantum phase transition driven by an inhomogeneous quench. I will argue that the density of quasiparticle excitations resulting from passing the critical point is suppressed when velocity at which a critical point propagates across a system falls below a threshold velocity equal to the Kibble-Zurek correlation length times the energy gap at freeze-out. This general prediction will be supported by an analytic solution in the quantum Ising chain. Our results suggest, in particular, that adiabatic quantum computers can be made adiabatic easier when operated in an “inhomogeneous” way.