Optimal quantum engineering

Abstract

Optimal control of complex quantum systems in theory and experiment is the focus of this thesis. The theoretical aspect of our work was concerned with the development of algorithms that are capable of precisely tailoring the shapes of control pulses to meet various control goals while respecting all physical constraints, both fundamental and problem specific. Having these effective tools at hand, we computed control inputs for a range of physical systems using simulation-based time propagation. We extended the dressed chopped random basis (dCRAB) optimization method, previously developed in our group, such that boundary conditions and other constraints that arise from experimental setups of quantum systems can be regarded. Therefore, we wrote a software suite that enables experimentalists to improve their control pulses by directly interfacing the lab with our control algorithm.