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AIP conference proceedings

Control of quantum dynamics: The dream is alive

HERSCHEL A. RABITZ

Published Jan 1, 1995• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In atomic and molecular physics, a long sought‐after dream has been the use of optical fields to steer wavepackets into desired states. The inherent mechanism of such control consists of manipulating quantum mechanical constructive and destructive interferences. Finding the proper control fields is a problem of design, best expressed in terms of control theory. An overview of the latest developments in this field will be given, along with an indication of where the subject is heading.

DOI
10.1063/1.48216

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In atomic and molecular physics, a long sought‐after dream has been the use of optical fields to steer wavepackets into desired states. The inherent mechanism of such control consists of manipulating quantum mechanical constructive and destructive interferences. Finding the proper control fields is a problem of design, best expressed in terms of control theory. An overview of the latest developments in this field will be given, along with an indication of where the subject is heading.
In this article, we present an overview of theory and technique for optimal control of molecular dynamics using tailored light fields. The goal of this research is to design an optical field, which can drive a system to a desired target state with a fairly high probability and low power expenditure. For the laboratory implementation of the designed field, it is desirable that it has simple frequency structure and that the control outcome is robust in the presence of noise which will always accompany the field. The ability of the control field to cooperate with noise in the manipulation of quantum dynamics is also discussed.
Quantum control refers to our ability to manipulate quantum systems. This tutorial-style chapter focuses on the use of classical electromagnetic fields to steer the system dynamics. In this approach, the quantum nature of the control stems solely from the underlying dynamics, through the exploitation of destructive and constructive interference to reach the control target. We first discuss two basic control principles -- coherent control which uses manipulation in frequency or time to design these interferences, and adiabatic following where access to the control target is enabled by tracking the time-dependent ground state. For complex control targets and system dynamics that exceed the scope of these basic principles, optimal control theory provides a powerful suite of tools to design the necessary protocols. A key consideration for the successful application of optimal control theory is a proper choice of the optimization functional. All concepts are illustrated using recent work from my research group, with a focus on controlling atoms and superconducting qubits. The chapter concludes with an outlook on integrating coherent control with engineered dissipation and a discussion of open questions in the field.
Control and manipulation of quantum mechanical systems using electromagnetic fields is a widely studied subject in areas of physics and chemistry, including spectroscopy, atomic molecular, and optical physics, and quantum chemistry.This article attempts to provide a glimpse into the rich class of bilinear control systems that are ubiquitous in these problems.In this article, we use control of spin systems in magnetic resonance as a model system to highlight characteristic feature of problems in quantum control.Background information is provided to enable the reader to appreciate new results and developments, where principled use of ideas from control theory have provided new insights into finding optimal ways to control and manipulate quantum mechanical systems.The study of deterministic and stochastic models that arise in problems in measurement and manipulation of quantum mechanical systems may foster new developments in control.
We provide an overview of our latest activities on using optical meta-atoms to mediate the interaction of light with molecular systems. The first subject concerns the control of the dynamics of quantum mechanical systems featuring dipole-forbidden transitions. There, the meta-atoms provide local fields that exhibit a large electric quadrupole moment. The second issue is related to the enhancement of the upconversion process in erbium-doped glasses. There, the optical meta-atom has to show a resonance at multiple frequencies which matches the term schema of erbium. It will be concluded that optical meta-atoms are promising to enable inaccessible processes in a quantum mechanical system which will allow groundbreaking applications.