Review Physics & Astronomy
The modelling of quantum control systems
Wenbin Dong
•
Rebing Wu
•
Xiaohu Yuan
•
Chunwen Li
•
Tzyh-Jong Tarn
Received: 30 June 2015 / Accepted: 28 July 2015 / Published online: 25 August 2015
Ó Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Abstract High-performance control of quantum dynam-
ics is key to the development of quantum technologies.
From quantum-state engineering to quantum metrology,
theory and practice of quantum control enable robust and
cheaper technologies for future industrial applications.
Starting from fundamental matter–field interactions, we
overview various approaches to modelling quantum control
systems, in which control can be implemented by either
changing field or material properties. These models are built
in time or frequency domain and can be interconnected to
form quantum feedback networks. This review can be taken
as a useful reference for engineers to understand the
quantum physics behind, or for physicists to resolve control
problems from a control engineering point of view.
Keywords Quantum control Modelling Quantum
technology
1 Introduction
In recent years, there have been great impacts of quantum
technologies on metrology, information, and material sci-
ence. Quantum control is the art of design for solving
manipulation problems encountered in such technologies,
e.g. to tame many entangled quantum bits via elaborate
control designs when building a quantum computer. Based
on the fundamental laws of quantum physics, quantum
control fuses ideas from control science that are powerful
in engineering fields such as chemical, aerospace, robotics,
and information technologies [1, 2]. Starting from 1980s
[3–10], quantum control theory has gradually evolved from
the studies of linear, closed, and small-scale systems to
nonlinear, open, and large-scale networks. Many successes
would not have been achieved without the advanced con-
trol techniques, such as optimal control and feedback
control theories. Towards future industrial applications,
there is no doubt that quantum control will continue to play
important roles in developing quantum technologies.
The body of quantum control literature has grown huge,
which involves fields of atomic, molecular, optics, chem-
istry, solid state, and control science. Quite a few good books
and reviews have been published on the theory of control
analysis and design, as well as their physical and experi-
mental applications [11–39]. In this review, we will focus on
the ideas of quantum control modelling. This is important, as
a bridge, for a control scientist to understand what the
problem is, or for a physicist to properly formulate control
problems so that suitable solutions can be more easily found.
The aim of control was to adjust the quantum dynamics
towards a prescribed goal. To make it possible, the system
to be controlled must be able to interact with a manipulable
exosystem. For example, a molecular ensemble is con-
trolled by a laser pulse whose envelope can be shaped, a
nuclear spin is rotated by a tunable radiofrequency mag-
netic field, or the propagation of a single photon is guided
by a photonic crystal whose structure can be designed. All
these occur via fundamental matter–field interaction [40],
which also induces indirect matter–matter interaction (e.g.
W. Dong R. Wu (&) X. Yuan C. Li
Department of Automation, Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: rbwu@tsinghua.edu.cn
W. Dong R. Wu X. Yuan C. Li
Center for Quantum Information Science and Technology,
TNList, Beijing 100084, China
T.-J. Tarn
Electrical and Systems Engineering Department, Washington
University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
123
Sci. Bull. (2015) 60(17):1493–1508 www.scibull.com
DOI 10.1007/s11434-015-0863-3 www.springer.com/scp