We propose an optimized adiabatic-impulse (OAI) protocol that substantially reduces the evolution time for crossing a quantum phase transition while preserving Kibble–Zurek (KZ) scaling. Near criticality, the control parameter is ramped linearly across the critical point at a rate characterized by a quench time ${\tau }_Q$. Away from criticality, the evolution remains adiabatic and is tuned close to the threshold of adiabatic breakdown, as quantified by an adiabatic coefficient $\zeta$ that scales as ${\tau }_Q^{\alpha }$. As a consequence, the total evolution time exhibits a sublinear power-law dependence on ${\tau }_Q$, and the conventional linear quench is recovered in the limit $\alpha \to \infty$. We apply the OAI protocol to the transverse Ising chain and numerically determine the minimal $\zeta$ required for KZ scaling. We further investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics in the presence of a noisy field that can induce anti-Kibble–Zurek (AKZ) behavior. Within the OAI protocol, noise-induced defects are significantly attenuated because of the shorter evolution time. The optimal quench time at which the defect density is minimized obeys an altered universal power-law scaling with the noise strength. Finally, we generalize the OAI protocol to the nonlinear quenches and numerically demonstrate a marked reduction in noise-induced defects.

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• Dynamic critical phenomena
• Noise-induced transitions
• Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics
• Quantum control
• Quantum phase transitions
• Quantum quench
• 1-dimensional spin chains