Laboratory observation of quantum control level sets

Journal Article · Sun Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.74.043414· OSTI ID:20863934

Roslund, Jonathan; Roth, Matthias; Rabitz, Herschel ^[1]

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1. Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States)

In controlled quantum dynamics, a level set is defined as the collection of control fields that produce a specific value for a particular observable. This paper explores the relationship between individual solutions to a control problem, and presents the first experimentally observed quantum control level sets, which are found to be continuous submanifolds. Level sets are observed for two photon transitions where the control is the spectral phase function, which is expressed as a fourth-order polynomial. For the systems studied here, the level sets are shown to be closed surfaces in the spectral phase control space. A perturbation analysis provides insight into the observed topology of the level set, which is shown to be preserved by the low-order polynomial phase representation. Each of the multiple control fields forming a level set preserves the observable value by its own distinct manipulation of constructive and destructive quantum interferences. Thus, the richness of quantum control fields meeting a particular observable value is accompanied by an equally diverse family of control mechanisms.

• OSTI ID: 20863934
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 74; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CONTROL
DISTURBANCES
INTERFERENCE
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
MULTI-PHOTON PROCESSES
OPTICS
PERTURBATION THEORY
PHOTONS
POLYNOMIALS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
SURFACES
TOPOLOGY