CAREER: A Methodology for Control of Finite Dimensional Quantum Mechanical Systems

Iowa State University, Ames IA

Investigators

Abstract

In the past decade, exciting new mathematics and resulting putative experiments have been proposed that involve quantum mechanics in an essential manner. A recent technological advance is the development of laser and pulse shaping techniques. These techniques make it possible to control processes at the atomic level, where the dynamics evolve according to the laws of quantum mechanics. The main objective of this project is a general methodology for the control of quantum mechanical system. The theory developed will have significant impact on promising applications of quantum mechanics. For example, it will render possible the implementation of quantum information processing for efficient computation and communication, it will shape chemical reactions in order to achieve a desired outcome and it will aid the storage and retrieval of information in memories that approach the molecular size. Apart from control theoretic aspects, this investigation will shed light on aspects of the quantum theory that are still not fully understood. These include the nature of the entanglement with other quantum systems and with the environment, the characterization of quantum versus classical dynamics and the limits and power of quantum computation.