Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Optimal control of coupled spin dynamics in the presence of relaxation

Dionisis Stefanatos

Published Jan 1, 2005• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In this thesis, we study methods for optimal manipulation of coupled spin dynamics in the presence of relaxation. We use these methods to compute analytical upper bounds for the efficiency of coherence and polarization transfer between coupled nuclear spins in multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, under the presence of relaxation. We derive relaxation optimized pulse sequences which achieve or approach these bounds and maximize the sensitivity of the experiments. The two systems examined in detail in this thesis, arising in the context of protein NMR spectroscopy, are a coupled heteronuclear spin pair and an Ising spin chain. New schemes for coherence and polarization transfer are found, which yield substantial gains in transfer efficiency, compared to the traditionally used pulse sequences. From the standpoint of mathematical control theory, the problems arising in connection with optimal manipulation of dissipative quantum dynamics, motivate the study of a class of dissipative bilinear control systems and the computation of their reachable sets. For these systems we show that the optimal solution, corresponding to the maximization of transfer efficiency, and the reachable set can be found by solving a semidefinite program.

Related papers

Relaxation Optimized Polarization-Coherence Transfer in Ising Spin Chains

Dionisis Stefanatos, Navin Khaneja, Steffen J. Glaser

Experiments in coherent spectroscopy correspond to control of quantum-mechanical ensembles guiding them from initial to final target states. The control inputs (pulse sequences) that accomplish these transfers should be designed to minimize the effects of relaxation and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments. For example in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a question of fundamental importance is what is the maximum efficiency of polarization or coherence transfer between coupled spins in the presence of relaxation. Furthermore, what is the optimal pulse sequence which achieves this efficiency? This letter is a continuation of our previous work on the above problems. Here, we attempt to answer these questions for an Ising spin chain, under the presence of transverse relaxation. The methods presented in this paper are expected to find applications not only in coherent spectroscopy but also in quantum information processing.

•May 15, 2005•0 citations

Optimal control of coupled spin dynamics under cross-correlated relaxation

Navin Khaneja, Steffen J. Glaser

Relaxation effects impose fundamental limitations on our ability to coherently control quantum mechanical phenomena. In this paper, we solve a new class of optimal control problems, which helps establish physical limits on how closely a quantum mechanical system can be steered to a desired target state in the presence of relaxation. In particular, we explicitly compute the maximum coherence or polarization that can be transferred between coupled nuclear spins in the presence of very general decoherence mechanisms that include cross-correlated relaxation. We give analytical expressions for the optimal control laws (pulse sequences). Exploitation of cross-correlation effects has recently led to the development of powerful methods in NMR spectroscopy to study very large biomolecules in solution. We demonstrate that the optimal pulse sequences provide significant gains over these state of the art methods, opening new avenues for spectroscopy of much larger proteins. It is shown that in spite of very large relaxation rates, optimal control can transfer coherence without any loss when cross-correlated relaxation rates are tuned to auto-correlated relaxation rates.

IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC)•Jul 8, 2004•3 citations

Optimal control of coupled spins in the presence of longitudinal and transverse relaxation

Dionisis Stefanatos, Navin Khaneja, Steffen J. Glaser

In this paper, we develop methods for optimal manipulation of coupled spin dynamics in the presence of relaxation. These methods are used to compute analytical bounds for the optimal efficiency of coherence transfer between coupled nuclear spins in presence of longitudinal and transverse relaxation. We derive relaxation optimized pulse sequences which achieve these bounds and maximize the sensitivity of the experiments in spectroscopic applications. This paper is a continuation of our previous work. Here, we take into account both the longitudinal and the transverse relaxation mechanisms, thus generalizing our previous results, where the former had been neglected.

Physical Review A•Feb 26, 2004•63 citations

Optimal control of coupled spins in presence of longitudinal and transverse relaxation

Dionisis Stefanatos, Navin Khaneja, Steffen J. Glaser

Experiments in coherent spectroscopy correspond to control of quantum mechanical ensemble guiding them from initial to final target states. The control inputs (pulse sequences) that accomplish these transformations should be designed to minimize the effects of relaxation and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments. For example in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a question of fundamental importance is what is the maximum efficiency of coherence or polarization transfer between two spins in the presence of relaxation. Furthermore what is the optimal pulse sequence which achieves this efficiency? This manuscript extends our previous work in the above problems. Here, we take into account both the longitudinal and the transverse relaxation mechanisms, thus generalizing our previous results, where the former had been neglected.

IEEE International Workshop on Workload Characterization (WWC)•Apr 23, 2004•6 citations

Time optimal control in spin systems

Navin Khaneja, Roger W. Brockett, Steffen J. Glaser

In this paper, we study the design of pulse sequences for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a problem of time optimal control of the unitary propagator. Radio-frequency pulses are used in coherent spectroscopy to implement a unitary transfer between states. Pulse sequences that accomplish a desired transfer should be as short as possible in order to minimize the effects of relaxation and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments. Here, we give an analytical characterization of such time optimal pulse sequences applicable to coherence transfer experiments in multiple-spin systems. We have adopted a general mathematical formulation, and present many of our results in this setting, mindful of the fact that new structures in optimal pulse design are constantly arising. From a general control theory perspective, the problems we want to study have the following character. Suppose we are given a controllable right invariant system on a compact Lie group. What is the minimum time required to steer the system from some initial point to a specified final point? In nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and quantum computing, this translates to, what is the minimum time required to produce a unitary propagator? We also give an analytical characterization of maximum achievable transfer in a given time for the two-spin system.

arXiv:quant-ph/0006114•Physical Review A•Feb 14, 2001•741 citations

Multiple-spin coherence transfer in linear Ising spin chains and beyond: Numerically optimized pulses and experiments

Manoj Nimbalkar, Robert Zeier, Jorge Luiz Neves +5 more

We study multiple-spin coherence transfers in linear Ising spin chains with nearest-neighbor couplings. These constitute a model for efficient information transfers in future quantum computing devices and for many multidimensional experiments for the assignment of complex spectra in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We complement prior analytic techniques for multiple-spin coherence transfers with a systematic numerical study where we obtain strong evidence that a certain analytically motivated family of restricted controls is sufficient for time optimality. In the case of a linear three-spin system, additional evidence suggests that prior analytic pulse sequences using this family of restricted controls are time optimal even for arbitrary local controls. In addition, we compare the pulse sequences for linear Ising spin chains to pulse sequences for more realistic spin systems with additional long-range couplings between nonadjacent spins. We experimentally implement the derived pulse sequences in three- and four-spin systems and demonstrate that they are applicable in realistic settings under relaxation and experimental imperfections---in particular---by deriving broadband pulse sequences which are robust with respect to frequency offsets.

arXiv:1110.5262•Physical Review A•Jan 24, 2012•27 citations
In this thesis, we study methods for optimal manipulation of coupled spin dynamics in the presence of relaxation. We use these methods to compute analytical upper bounds for the efficiency of coherence and polarization transfer between coupled nuclear spins in multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, under the presence of relaxation. We derive relaxation optimized pulse sequences which achieve or approach these bounds and maximize the sensitivity of the experiments. The two systems examined in detail in this thesis, arising in the context of protein NMR spectroscopy, are a coupled heteronuclear spin pair and an Ising spin chain. New schemes for coherence and polarization transfer are found, which yield substantial gains in transfer efficiency, compared to the traditionally used pulse sequences. From the standpoint of mathematical control theory, the problems arising in connection with optimal manipulation of dissipative quantum dynamics, motivate the study of a class of dissipative bilinear control systems and the computation of their reachable sets. For these systems we show that the optimal solution, corresponding to the maximization of transfer efficiency, and the reachable set can be found by solving a semidefinite program.
Experiments in coherent spectroscopy correspond to control of quantum-mechanical ensembles guiding them from initial to final target states. The control inputs (pulse sequences) that accomplish these transfers should be designed to minimize the effects of relaxation and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments. For example in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a question of fundamental importance is what is the maximum efficiency of polarization or coherence transfer between coupled spins in the presence of relaxation. Furthermore, what is the optimal pulse sequence which achieves this efficiency? This letter is a continuation of our previous work on the above problems. Here, we attempt to answer these questions for an Ising spin chain, under the presence of transverse relaxation. The methods presented in this paper are expected to find applications not only in coherent spectroscopy but also in quantum information processing.
Relaxation effects impose fundamental limitations on our ability to coherently control quantum mechanical phenomena. In this paper, we solve a new class of optimal control problems, which helps establish physical limits on how closely a quantum mechanical system can be steered to a desired target state in the presence of relaxation. In particular, we explicitly compute the maximum coherence or polarization that can be transferred between coupled nuclear spins in the presence of very general decoherence mechanisms that include cross-correlated relaxation. We give analytical expressions for the optimal control laws (pulse sequences). Exploitation of cross-correlation effects has recently led to the development of powerful methods in NMR spectroscopy to study very large biomolecules in solution. We demonstrate that the optimal pulse sequences provide significant gains over these state of the art methods, opening new avenues for spectroscopy of much larger proteins. It is shown that in spite of very large relaxation rates, optimal control can transfer coherence without any loss when cross-correlated relaxation rates are tuned to auto-correlated relaxation rates.
In this paper, we develop methods for optimal manipulation of coupled spin dynamics in the presence of relaxation. These methods are used to compute analytical bounds for the optimal efficiency of coherence transfer between coupled nuclear spins in presence of longitudinal and transverse relaxation. We derive relaxation optimized pulse sequences which achieve these bounds and maximize the sensitivity of the experiments in spectroscopic applications. This paper is a continuation of our previous work. Here, we take into account both the longitudinal and the transverse relaxation mechanisms, thus generalizing our previous results, where the former had been neglected.
Experiments in coherent spectroscopy correspond to control of quantum mechanical ensemble guiding them from initial to final target states. The control inputs (pulse sequences) that accomplish these transformations should be designed to minimize the effects of relaxation and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments. For example in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a question of fundamental importance is what is the maximum efficiency of coherence or polarization transfer between two spins in the presence of relaxation. Furthermore what is the optimal pulse sequence which achieves this efficiency? This manuscript extends our previous work in the above problems. Here, we take into account both the longitudinal and the transverse relaxation mechanisms, thus generalizing our previous results, where the former had been neglected.
In this paper, we study the design of pulse sequences for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a problem of time optimal control of the unitary propagator. Radio-frequency pulses are used in coherent spectroscopy to implement a unitary transfer between states. Pulse sequences that accomplish a desired transfer should be as short as possible in order to minimize the effects of relaxation and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments. Here, we give an analytical characterization of such time optimal pulse sequences applicable to coherence transfer experiments in multiple-spin systems. We have adopted a general mathematical formulation, and present many of our results in this setting, mindful of the fact that new structures in optimal pulse design are constantly arising. From a general control theory perspective, the problems we want to study have the following character. Suppose we are given a controllable right invariant system on a compact Lie group. What is the minimum time required to steer the system from some initial point to a specified final point? In nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and quantum computing, this translates to, what is the minimum time required to produce a unitary propagator? We also give an analytical characterization of maximum achievable transfer in a given time for the two-spin system.
We study multiple-spin coherence transfers in linear Ising spin chains with nearest-neighbor couplings. These constitute a model for efficient information transfers in future quantum computing devices and for many multidimensional experiments for the assignment of complex spectra in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We complement prior analytic techniques for multiple-spin coherence transfers with a systematic numerical study where we obtain strong evidence that a certain analytically motivated family of restricted controls is sufficient for time optimality. In the case of a linear three-spin system, additional evidence suggests that prior analytic pulse sequences using this family of restricted controls are time optimal even for arbitrary local controls. In addition, we compare the pulse sequences for linear Ising spin chains to pulse sequences for more realistic spin systems with additional long-range couplings between nonadjacent spins. We experimentally implement the derived pulse sequences in three- and four-spin systems and demonstrate that they are applicable in realistic settings under relaxation and experimental imperfections---in particular---by deriving broadband pulse sequences which are robust with respect to frequency offsets.