arXiv:1010.0940 · Physical Review Letters
Optimal Control of Open Quantum Systems: Cooperative Effects of Driving and Dissipation
Rebecca Schmidt, Antonio Negretti, Joachim Ankerhold, Tommaso Calarco, Jürgen T. Stockburger
Abstract
We investigate the optimal control of open quantum systems, in particular, the mutual influence of driving and dissipation. A stochastic approach to open-system control is developed, using a generalized version of Krotov's iterative algorithm, with no need for Markovian or rotating-wave approximations. The application to a harmonic degree of freedom reveals cooperative effects of driving and dissipation that a standard Markovian treatment cannot capture. Remarkably, control can modify the open-system dynamics to the point where the entropy change turns negative, thus achieving cooling of translational motion without any reliance on internal degrees of freedom.