Shortcuts to adiabaticity: Fast-forward approach

The "fast-forward"approach by Masuda and Nakamura generates driving potentials to accelerate slow quantum adiabatic dynamics. First we present a streamlined version of the formalism that produces the main results in a few steps. Then we show the connection between this approach and inverse engineering based on Lewis-Riesenfeld invariants. We identify in this manner applications in which the engineered potential does not depend on the initial state. Finally we discuss more general applications exemplified by wave splitting processes.We are grateful to S. Masuda and K. Nakamura for discussing their method; also to G. Labeyrie for comments on experimental techniques. We acknowledge funding by Projects No. GIU07/40 and No. FIS2009-12773-C02-01, and the UPV/EHU under program UFI 11/55. E.T. acknowledges financial support from the Basque Government (Grant No.BFI08.151)