Altering the Course of Quantum Dynamics Phenomena

普林斯顿大学的Herschel A. Rabitz教授得到化学理论、模型和计算方法项目的支持，为量子控制开发新的理论概念。量子现象的控制需要通过引入外场来干预动力学事件的正常演化。令人惊讶的是，在模拟和实验室中，为这一目的找到最佳场被证明比预期的要容易。在普林斯顿大学，人们正在努力从根本上了解这种行为的起源。特别是，在最基本的层面上，需要理解控制景观的结构，其中控制景观是作为控制功能的物理可观察到的。一系列理论和计算分析工具将用于分析这些景观，目的是最终为确定控制量子现象的基本规则提供见解。这项工作的一部分将包括揭示实现控制的机制以及一般哈密顿结构在促进控制方面的作用。这项研究的结果有望是对受控量子现象的更深入的理解，以及对该领域有前途的实验方向的具体指导。一个名为《量子控制工程，泰勒和弗朗西斯》的新文本将由PI和普渡大学的R. Chakrabarti教授共同撰写。在原子和分子尺度上对动力学事件的控制是许多科学领域的核心。在量子力学的基础上，在20世纪60年代激光的引入，一个突出的目标是在埃长度尺度和超快时间尺度上实现控制。这个领域的动机是希望操纵和理解基本的动力学过程，以及各种应用的前景。通过在量子力学中引入工程控制概念和开发超快激光脉冲整形工具，实现这些目标达到了一个里程碑。大量新兴实验展示了该领域的许多基本原理和前景。本研究涉及理论概念、工具和算法的先进发展，从根本上探索量子现象的控制。这些进步旨在提供更好地利用实验室控制能力和提取从实验中产生的信息的手段。

Professor Herschel A. Rabitz of Princeton University is supported by the Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods Program to develop new theoretical concepts for quantum control. The control of quantum phenomena entails interceding in the normal evolution of dynamical events through the introduction of external fields. Quite surprisingly, finding optimal fields for this purpose is proving to be easier than anticipated both in simulations and in the laboratory. At Princeton, an effort has been underway to fundamentally understand the origins of this behavior. In particular, at the most basic level, the structure of the control landscape needs to be understood, where a control landscape is the physical observable as a function of the controls. A family of theoretical and computational analysis tools will be used to analyze these landscapes with the aim of ultimately providing insights into identifying the basic rules for controlling quantum phenomena. Part of this effort will include revealing the mechanisms by which control is achieved and the role of general Hamiltonian structure in facilitating control. The outcome of this research is expected to be a deeper understanding of controlled quantum phenomena along with specific guidance towards promising experimental directions for the field. A new text titled, Quantum Control Engineering, Taylor and Francis, will be co-authored by the PI and Professor R. Chakrabarti, Purdue University.The control of dynamical events at the atomic and molecular scale is at the heart of many areas of science. Building on the foundations of quantum mechanics and the introduction of the laser in the 1960's, an outstanding objective has been to achieve control at Angstrom length scales and ultrafast time scales. This field is motivated by the desire to manipulate and understand the fundamental dynamical processes as well as the prospects for a variety of applications. Addressing these goals reached a milestone through the introduction of engineering control concepts within quantum mechanics and the development of ultrafast laser pulse shaping tools. Hosts of emerging experiments demonstrate many of the basic principles and promise for the field. This research concerns the advanced development of theoretical concepts, tools and algorithms to fundamentally explore the control of quantum phenomena. These advances aim to provide the means to better exploit the laboratory control capabilities and extract the information generated from the experiments.