Quantum control papers on arXiv, selected and classified automatically by QOC. https://llorebaga.github.io/QOC/topics/geometric-control/ 2026-10-15T00:00:00Z QOC https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21596 2026-10-15T00:00:00Z 2026-10-15T00:00:00Z Llorenç Balada Gaggioli

Robust quantum control usually assumes one of two extremes: the error is of a known form and only its strength is unknown, or nothing at all is known about it. In practice one often sits in between. The size of a static error is unknown, but its class is known, for example, it only shifts energy levels, or it acts on each subsystem separately. We ask how fast a control can cancel, to first order, every error in such a class. A time-independent Hamiltonian can do this if and only if all errors in the class have zero diagonal in a common basis. In that case an equally spaced energy ladder in this basis does it after one period. A lower bound that holds for any time-dependent control with bounded drive power shows that this simple constant control is optimal for several natural classes, including unknown level shifts and unknown local errors on two subsystems. Completely unknown errors need a time-dependent control, and there, knowing the error class shortens the minimum time by a factor $\sqrt{d^2+1}$. So partial knowledge of the error changes not only how long an optimal robust control takes, but also its form.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.09666 2026-10-07T00:00:00Z 2026-10-07T00:00:00Z Adonai Hilário da SilvaTanmoy PanditFrancesco Cosco

Superconducting qubits are often based on the first two energy levels of a physical anharmonic LC oscillator. Since the anharmonicity of such systems is usually much lower than the involved energy gaps, population can easily leak to higher energy states. This is what characterizes leakage errors, and it can have multiple sources: from coherent error induced by the control platform to incoherent thermal dissipation. In this work, we adapt an optimal control method based on sub-Riemannian geodesic search in the unitary group for a system consisting of two superconducting qubits with leakage levels. We use the $R_x(π/2)$ rotation for single-qubit operation analysis, and the $i$SWAP operation for two-qubit analysis. For the former, we find considerable performance improvement in average gate fidelity as well as in the reduction of leakage errors when comparing the obtained optimal pulses with Gaussian and DRAG pulses, especially for short duration pulses. For the $i$SWAP gate, although leakage error remains roughly the same, we manage to obtain considerably higher fidelities with the cost of requiring a slightly longer time evolution.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.00169 2026-09-15T00:00:00Z 2026-09-15T00:00:00Z Masayuki Ohzeki

We clarify the relation between the time-optimal quantum evolution of Carlini et al. and the coherent two-boundary optimal-control formulation recently proposed for quantum algorithm design.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.11213 2026-09-10T00:00:00Z 2026-09-10T00:00:00Z Bereket Sitotaw KidaneMd Samiul Haque MotayedShuo Wang

Optimal scheduling of combined chemo-immunotherapy is often formulated as a control-affine optimal control problem, which generically yields boundary-selected (bang-bang-type) protocols unless singular arcs occur. This structure, while convenient, neglects saturating pharmacodynamics at high dose rates. We incorporate Michaelis-Menten saturation directly into the therapy channels, making the dynamics non-control-affine and the Hamiltonian nonlinear in each control. With strictly positive exposure penalties, the Hamiltonian admits an explicit three-regime pointwise minimization law: each input is chosen at the lower bound, the upper bound, or as a unique interior minimizer. On interior intervals the strict Legendre condition holds, so continuously modulated dosing arises as a regular interior extremal rather than a singular-arc or smoothing artifact. The resulting transcription is nonconvex; we therefore use a hybrid Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization (QPSO)-Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) pipeline, where QPSO provides a constraint-aware warm start and SQP enforces feasibility and Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) optimality on a collocation grid. Costate reconstruction corroborates the Pontryagin Minimum Principle (PMP) structure and the predicted boundary/interior regime transitions.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.16702 2026-08-17T00:00:00Z 2026-08-17T00:00:00Z Valentín ReparazSantiago FerreyraMaría José SánchezDaniel DominguezLeandro Tosi

We determine the optimal quantum manipulation protocols for implementing high-fidelity, fast single-qubit gates. We demonstrate that the time-optimal pulse sequence is a ``bang-bang'' sequence: discrete pulses of either positive or negative maximum amplitude or zero. The non-adiabatic bang-bang pulse sequence minimizes gate duration providing a speedup for low-frequency architectures. We first derive the protocol for a transversally driven two-level system, extracting exact analytic expressions for minimum gate times. We then extend this framework to general multilevel architectures, identifying conditions that enable the coherent suppression of leakage errors. Using the fluxonium circuit as a representative case study, we optimize $X/2$ and $Y/2$ gates through a combination of discrete bang sequences and continuous waveform smoothing. This approach preserves near-optimal execution speeds while mitigating transitions outside the computational subspace. Open-system simulations demonstrate that these sequences outperform commensurate and resonant pulse schemes across different fluxonium regimes, achieving low-error manipulation significantly faster than standard resonant control, even in the presence of $1/f$ flux noise and dissipation.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.13481 2026-06-11T00:00:00Z 2026-07-02T00:00:00Z Dario Pighin

We develop a control-theoretic framework for understanding Quantum Advantage (QA), providing a systematic route to characterize when and how QA can arise. The bilinear controlled Schrödinger equation is the common thread: the target quantum computation is recast as an operator controllability problem on the special unitary group $SU(N)$, and QA is identified with a polynomial-in-$n$ upper bound on the associated minimal-time function. We illustrate the framework on two paradigmatic problems: a) the Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT) on superconducting digital quantum processors (such as IBM's ibm_brisbane), for which we prove operator controllability by a Lie-algebraic argument and derive an $O(n^2)$ upper bound on the minimal time via a gate-concatenation lemma combined with the standard QFT circuit decomposition; b) the Maximum Independent Set (MIS) problem on neutral-atom analog quantum processors (such as Pasqal's hardware), for which we analyze the Rydberg-blockade Hamiltonian as a bilinear control system and reformulate the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) as a continuous-time optimal control problem. By a controllability result, we show how the problem can be solved on Pasqal Quantum Computers and we introduce a control-based definition of Quantum Advantage for MIS. We conclude by outlining several open problems that chart directions for future research at the intersection of Control Theory and Quantum Computing.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.06759 2026-06-04T00:00:00Z 2026-06-04T00:00:00Z Sergio CarrascoDominique Spehner

The quantum speed limit establishes a bound on the minimal time required for a quantum system to evolve from a given initial state to a final state. When the mean energy variance is fixed this limitation is captured by the Mandelstam--Tamm bound. The fastest quantum evolution saturating this bound follows a geodesic arc connecting the two states. Such geodesics in the manifold of quantum states are explicitly known when the states are pure (Fubini-Study geodesics) and when they are mixed and given by faithful density matrices (Bures geodesics). In this article we obtain the explicit form of the Bures geodesic arcs joining two non-faithful density matrices, which may have different ranks. For pure states one recovers the Fubini-Study geodesics. A necessary and sufficient condition for the uniqueness of the shortest geodesic arc is given. When the condition is not fulfilled there are infinitely many such arcs, all having length equal to the arccos Bures distance between the two states, in analogy with the arcs of great circles connecting the two poles of a sphere. We discuss the implications of our results for the quantum speed limit.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.05099 2026-06-03T00:00:00Z 2026-06-03T00:00:00Z Qisheng Wang

Tight bounds on quantum sample complexity and quantum query complexity have been known for various computational problems in the literature, whereas tight bounds on quantum time complexity (i.e., the size of quantum circuits) remain unresolved. In this paper, we provide a framework to establish lower bounds on the quantum time complexity for testing permutation-invariant properties of quantum states, via a reduction from quantum sample complexity. As an application, we obtain a series of matching lower bounds when given sample access to the input quantum states, including: 1. The SWAP test due to Buhrman, Cleve, Watrous, and de Wolf (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2001) is time-optimal to estimate the purity $\operatorname{tr}(ρ^2)$ and the inner product $\operatorname{tr}(ρσ)$. 2. The Shift test due to Ekert, Alves, Oi, Horodecki, Horodecki, and Kwek (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2002) is time-optimal to estimate the high-order functionals $\operatorname{tr}(ρ^k)$. 3. The productness tester for multipartite pure states due to Harrow and Montanaro (J. ACM 2013) is time-optimal. 4. The LMR protocol due to Lloyd, Mohseni, and Rebentrost (Nat. Phys. 2014) is time-optimal to implement the reflection operator about a pure state. 5. The samplizer due to Wang and Zhang (IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 2025) is time-optimal for pure states. 6. The estimator for pure-state trace distance and fidelity due to Wang and Zhang (ICALP 2026) is time-optimal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method that allows us to systematically establish tight lower bounds on quantum time complexity.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28754 2026-05-27T00:00:00Z 2026-05-27T00:00:00Z François ImpensDavid Guéry-Odelin

Stokes' theorem turns Abelian Berry phases into curvature fluxes, whereas path ordering precludes such a simple formula for non-Abelian holonomies. We show that a quantitative form of this intuition survives: arbitrary Wilczek--Zee holonomies obey a universal quantum geometric limit~(QGL), in which the holonomy magnitude is bounded by a surface integral of the non-Abelian curvature norm. Recasting holonomic evolution as an effective Stokes--Schrödinger dynamics driven by transported curvature, we identify the QGL as the geometric counterpart of conventional quantum speed limits, with a time-integrated generator norm replaced by a surface-integrated curvature cost. The induced contour--surface variational problem is governed by a non-Abelian Lorentz force, which we address with a brachistochrone ansatz of curvature-weighted geodesics. Applied to an SU(2) tripod dark subspace, near-optimal protocols spontaneously align the transported curvature along a single Lie-algebra direction, effectively taming non-Abelianity.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.24781 2026-05-23T00:00:00Z 2026-05-23T00:00:00Z Sam EdmundsObinna Abah

The efficient generation of highly nonclassical quantum states is essential for emerging quantum technologies, yet it remains challenging due to decoherence and the long preparation times associated with conventional adiabatic protocols. Here, we employ time-optimal control methods based on the quantum brachistochrone formalism to engineer nonclassical states in light--matter systems described by the time-dependent Jaynes--Cummings and quantum Rabi models. We demonstrate the deterministic generation of Fock states and highly entangled Schrödinger cat states at unit fidelity, and characterize their nonclassical properties through joint Wigner phase-space distributions. We further show that the wind control generates these non-classical states at speed limit which leads to a reduced energetic cost and robustness against dissipation, relaxation, and dephasing across a broad range of environmental conditions. Our results establish time-optimal control as an efficient and experimentally feasible approach for fast and nonclassical state engineering in hybrid quantum platforms.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.22668 2026-04-24T00:00:00Z 2026-09-09T00:00:00Z Rufus LawrenceAleš WodeckiJohannes AspmanJakub Marecek

In many problems in optimal control, one seeks to minimise an objective function subject to constraints on the velocity of the system. Imposing these constraints directly -- the ``hard-constrained'' approach -- is often analytically and computationally challenging. A natural alternative is to penalise violations of the constraints, solving a sequence of ``soft-constrained'' problems indexed by a penalty parameter $q$, and hoping that solutions converge to solutions of the hard-constrained problem as $q \to \infty$. We show that this approach is justified when applied to a broad class of geometric control problems on a Riemannian manifold $(M,g)$. We first consider the case where there are no autonomous dynamics, and so the control problem reduces to the problem of finding a curve of minimal length or energy between two points, subject to a nonholonomic velocity constraint/penalty determined by the choice of a bracket-generating subbundle $D$ of $TM$. We show that any sequence of solutions to the soft-constrained problem has an accumulation point which is a solution to the hard-constrained problem. Subsequently, we show how to transform a broad class of optimal control problems to the problem of finding a geodesic, by trivialising the inherent dynamics of the system using a change of coordinates inspired by the interaction picture transformation in quantum mechanics.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21230 2026-04-23T00:00:00Z 2026-04-23T00:00:00Z Hong-Bo HuangHui Dong

Fast qubit reset is essential for qubit reuse in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum computing era, yet it conflicts with the weak decoherence required for high-fidelity computation. We solve the time-optimal reset problem for a frequency-tunable qubit coupled to a structural environment under realistic spectral and control constraints. The optimal strategy consists of a switch--restore--switch sequence, where the qubit is moved from a low-decoherence computational configuration to a high-decoherence restoring configuration and then returned for reuse. For superconducting qubits in four representative environments, this strategy reduces the reset time from typically $\gtrsim\SI{100}{\nano\second}$ to $\SI{20}{\nano\second}$, about $40\%$ of a typical two-qubit gate time, while achieving a reset precision of $10^{-5}$. Our results identify environmental spectral structure as a practical resource for rapid, high-fidelity qubit reset and provide a design principle for qubit reuse on qubit-limited processors.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.15886 2026-04-17T00:00:00Z 2026-08-06T00:00:00Z Kun ZhangKang-Yuan ChenXiao-Hui WangVladimir Korepin

Grover's algorithm is a cornerstone of quantum algorithms and is strictly optimal in oracle-query complexity. While the full search problem admits no further improvement, one may trade accuracy for speed in the partial search problem, where the task is to identify only the block containing the target item. The best known quantum algorithm for the partial search problem is the Grover-Radhakrishnan-Korepin (GRK) algorithm, whose optimality has long been conjectured but not proved. In this work, we prove the optimality of GRK in the large-block limit. We formulate partial search as a time-optimal control problem and apply the Pontryagin maximum principle to derive the switching-function dynamics, establish the bang-bang structure of regular extremals, and exclude non-optimal switching patterns. As a result, we show that the optimal regular extremal has the global-local-global form, which yields a control-theoretic proof of the asymptotic optimality of the GRK algorithm in oracle-query complexity.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.27894 2026-03-29T00:00:00Z 2026-03-29T00:00:00Z Francesca AlbertiniDomenico D'Alessandro

In this paper, we demonstrate an approach to quantum robust control based on the tools of geometric optimal control. The central objects of interest are the sensitivity functions defined as the coefficients in the Taylor expansion of the trajectory with respect to the (unknown, small) parameters which describe the deviation of the actual model from nominal one. In terms of these quantities, we formalize an optimal control problem where one searches for the optimal nominal trajectory which minimizes the size of the sensitivity while taking into account other aspects of the control design such as the energy of the control field. We consider in detail the case of a single qubit with a dephasing Hamiltonian term, and the optimal control problem of obtaining a state transfer by minimizing the weighted sum of the energy of the controlling field and the first order sensitivity. At the limit of a very large weight on the sensitivity, we obtain the optimal control which zeros the sensitivity and minimizes the control field energy. This problem has a rich mathematical structure which enables its solution in terms of elliptic integrals. For this problem, we obtain an explicit solution which is particularly simple and also smooth, avoiding discontinuities which are present in other approaches. We extend the results to the robust control of two quantum bits minimizing cross-talk contamination, as we show that such a problem decouples in two independent one qubit problems.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10662 2026-01-15T00:00:00Z 2026-06-06T00:00:00Z Carlo CafaroJames Schneeloch

We examine the pertinent geometric characteristics of entanglement that arise from stationary Hamiltonian evolutions transitioning from separable to maximally entangled two-qubit quantum states. From a geometric perspective, each evolution is characterized by means of geodesic efficiency, speed efficiency, and curvature coefficient. Conversely, from the standpoint of entanglement, these evolutions are quantified using various metrics, such as concurrence, entanglement power, and entangling capability. Overall, our findings indicate that time-optimal evolution trajectories are marked by high geodesic efficiency, with no energy resource wastage, no curvature (i.e., zero bending), and an average path entanglement that is less than that observed in time-suboptimal evolutions. Additionally, when analyzing separable-to-maximally entangled evolutions between nonorthogonal states, time-optimal evolutions demonstrate a greater short-time degree of nonlocality compared to time-suboptimal evolutions between the same initial and final states. Interestingly, the reverse is generally true for separable-to-maximally entangled evolutions involving orthogonal states. Our investigation suggests that this phenomenon arises because suboptimal trajectories between orthogonal states are characterized by longer path lengths with smaller curvature, which are traversed with a higher energy resource wastage compared to suboptimal trajectories between nonorthogonal states. Consequently, a higher initial degree of nonlocality in the unitary time propagators appears to be essential for achieving the maximally entangled state from a separable state. Furthermore, when assessing optimal and suboptimal evolutions...

https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10446 2026-01-15T00:00:00Z 2026-01-15T00:00:00Z Adonai Hilário da SilvaOctávio da MottaLeonardo K. CastelanoReginaldo de Jesus Napolitano

We present a unified scheme for generating high-fidelity entangling gates in superconducting platforms by continuous dynamical decoupling (CDD) combined with variational minimal-energy optimal control. During the CDD stage, we suppress residual couplings, calibration drifting, and quasistatic noise, resulting in a stable effective Hamiltonian that preserves the designed ZZ interaction intended for producing tunable couplers. In this stable $\mathrm{SU}(4)$ manifold, we calculate smooth low-energy single-quibt control functions using a variational geodesic optimization process that directly minimizes gate infidelity. We illustrate the methodology by applying it to CZ, CX, and generic engangling gates, achieving virtually unit fidelity and robustness under restricted single-qubit action, with experimentally realistic control fields. These results establish CDD-enhanced variational geometric optimal control as a practical and noise-resilient scheme for designing superconducting entangling gates.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.04444 2026-01-07T00:00:00Z 2026-04-29T00:00:00Z Sabee GrewalMeghal GuptaWilliam HeAniruddha SenMihir Singhal

We give an algorithm for pure state tomography with near-optimal copy and time complexity using only single-qubit measurements. Specifically, given $\widetilde{O}(2^n/ε)$ copies of an unknown $n$-qubit pure state $|ψ\rangle$, the algorithm performs only nonadaptive Pauli measurements, runs in time $\widetilde{O}(2^n/ε)$, and outputs $|\widehatψ \rangle$ with fidelity at least $1-ε$ with $|ψ\rangle$ with high probability. This is the first algorithm for pure state tomography that achieves near-optimal running time.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.17836 2025-12-19T00:00:00Z 2025-12-19T00:00:00Z Nicolas OmbredaneEloi FlamentCharles BabinDominique SugnyDavid Guéry-OdelinBruno Peaudecerf

We develop a time-optimal approach to force sensing using a Bose-Einstein condensate in a shaken optical lattice. Optimal control protocols are derived from a Fisher information framework and yield optimal dynamics that spontaneously organize in intereferometer-like structures, where multiple interferences combine to maximize sensitivity. We analyse how measurement precision scales with control time and how the finite momentum dispersion of the condensate changes the optimal dynamics, observing an abrupt change of conformation from single- to double-folded interference structures for robust controls. The protocols are implemented experimentally for cold atoms subjected to inertial and magnetic forces, demonstrating high sensitivity and robustness. Our approach establishes a general route to time-optimal quantum sensing beyond standard interferometric architectures, applcable across all quantum platforms.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13549 2025-12-15T00:00:00Z 2026-05-15T00:00:00Z Federico Alberto AstolfiSven JanduraGuido Pupillo

We study time-optimal state-to-state control for two- and multi-qubit operations motivated by neutral-atom quantum processors within the Rydberg blockade regime. Block-diagonalization of the Hamiltonian simplifies the dynamics and enables the application of a semi-analytic approach to the Pontryagin Maximum Principle to derive optimal laser controls. We provide a general formalism for $N$ qubits. For $N=2$ qubits, we classify normal and abnormal extremals, showcasing examples where abnormal solutions are either absent or suboptimal. For normal extremals, we establish a correspondence between the laser detuning from atomic transitions and the motion of a classical particle in a quartic potential, yielding a reduced, semi-analytic formulation of the control problem. Combining PMP-based insights with numerical optimization, our approach bridges analytic and computational methods for high-fidelity, time-optimal control.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.05265 2025-12-04T00:00:00Z 2025-12-04T00:00:00Z Julia Amoros-Binefa

Quantum entanglement, in the form of spin squeezing, is known to improve the sensitivity of atomic sensors to static or slowly varying fields. Sensing transient events presents a distinct challenge, requires different analysis tools, and has not been shown to benefit from entanglement in practically important scenarios such as spin-precession magnetometry. To address this, we apply concepts from continuous quantum measurements and estimation theory to optical atomic magnetometers, aiming to accurately model these devices, interpret their measurement data, control their dynamics, and achieve optimal sensitivity. Quantifying this optimal performance requires determining a fundamental quantum limit on sensitivity. We derive this limit, imposed by noise, and show that it scales at best linearly with sensing time and atom number N, ruling out any super-classical scaling. This limit is independent of the initial state, measurement, estimator, and measurement-based feedback, and depends only on the decoherence model and the strength of field fluctuations. Thus, finding an estimator that attains this bound proves the sensing strategy optimal. To approach this limit, we develop a quantum dynamical model scalable with N, based on a co-moving Gaussian approximation of the stochastic master equation, which includes measurement backaction and decoherence. This enables a real-time estimation and control architecture integrating an extended Kalman filter with a linear quadratic regulator. Simulating the magnetometer with our model and EKF+LQR strategy shows that quantum-limited tracking of constant and fluctuating fields is within reach of current atomic magnetometers. Our sensing strategy can also track biologically relevant signals, such as heartbeat-like waveforms, and drive the atomic ensemble into an entangled state, even when the measurement record is used for feedback but later discarded.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.20026 2025-11-25T00:00:00Z 2026-04-24T00:00:00Z Ya-Tang YuHsin-Lien LeeTing HsuGuin-Dar LinYing-Cheng ChenH. H. Jen

Fast coherent state transport is essential to quantum computation and quantum information processing. While an adiabatic transport of atomic qubits guarantees a high fidelity of the state preparation, it requires a long timescale that defies efficient quantum operations. Here, we propose an adaptable and fast bang-bang-bang (BBB) protocol, utilizing a combination of forwardand backward-moving trap potentials, to expedite the coherent state transport. This protocol approaches the quantum speed limit under a harmonic trap potential, surpassing the performance by the forward-moving-only potential protocols. We further showcase the advantage of applying squeezed coherent state evolution under a deeper potential followed by a weaker one, where a design of symmetric squeezing potential transports promotes an even shorter timescale for genuine state preparation. Our protocols outperform conventional forward-moving-only methods, providing new insights and opportunities for rapid state transport and preparation, ultimately advancing the capabilities of quantum control and quantum operations.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.11508 2025-11-14T00:00:00Z 2026-08-28T00:00:00Z Andrei A. StepanenkoKseniia S. ChernovaMaxim MazanovMaxim A. Gorlach

We present an approach to compute time-optimal control of a quantum system which combines quantum brachistochrone and Lax pair techniques and enables efficient investigation of large-scale quantum systems. We illustrate our method by finding the quantum speed limit for a single-particle excitation in a nearest-neighbor-coupled qubit lattice with switchable couplings and fixed sum of their squares. We obtain the solution for a finite system with up to 10 000 qubits and for the effectively infinite lattice closed into ring. As another application of our method, we derive the quantum speed limit for a lattice with time-independent couplings.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.21382 2025-10-24T00:00:00Z 2025-10-24T00:00:00Z S John Sharon SandeepDibyajyoti SahuSuhas Gangadharaiah

We examine excitation suppression in the transverse-field Ising model (TFIM), where finite-time drive across a quantum critical point is assisted by the presence of a time-dependent coupling parameter. While conventional counterdiabatic protocols are designed to eliminate excitations, they often require complex many-body terms that are difficult to realize experimentally. In contrast, our approach employs a local, time-dependent modulation of an existing coupling term in the Hamiltonian. Within the framework of quantum optimal control, we find that under a linear ramp of the transverse field, the optimal evolution of the second parameter follows a non-monotonic trajectory. For the TFIM, this protocol yields higher fidelity and improved robustness against noise compared to several orders of approximate counterdiabatic driving. Furthermore, we provide an analytical demonstration of anti-Kibble-Zurek scaling in the presence of noise acting on either the transverse field or the longitudinal coupling. These results highlight the potential of this approach for developing simple, noise-resilient protocols for finite-time quantum state preparation.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.20512 2025-08-28T00:00:00Z 2026-06-26T00:00:00Z Shoki SugimotoTakahiro SagawaRyusuke Hamazaki

Extracting useful work from quantum systems is a fundamental problem in quantum thermodynamics. In scenarios where rapid protocols are desired -- whether due to practical constraints or deliberate design choices -- a fundamental trade-off between power and efficiency is yet to be established. Here, we investigate the problem of finite-time optimal work extraction from closed quantum systems, subject to a constraint on the magnitude of the control Hamiltonian. We first reveal the trade-off relation between power and work under a general setup, showing that these fundamental performance metrics cannot be maximized simultaneously. We then identify a solvable class of finite-time optimal work-extraction problems. This class includes nontrivial many-body models such as the Heisenberg model and the SU(n)-Hubbard model. The key assumption is that the control Hamiltonian is optimized over a Lie algebra preserved by the uncontrolled dynamics. Within this class, the optimal work-extraction problem admits an exact reduction to a nonlinear self-consistent equation, circumventing extensive search over time-dependent control paths. The resulting optimal protocol turns out to be particularly simple: it suffices to use a time-independent control Hamiltonian in the interaction picture, determined by that equation. By exploiting the Lie-algebraic structure of the controllable terms, our approach is applicable to quantum many-body systems through efficient numerical computation. Our results highlight the necessity of rapid protocols to achieve the maximum power and provide an exact route to finite-time optimal work extraction in many-body quantum systems.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.16205 2025-08-22T00:00:00Z 2025-08-22T00:00:00Z Yunyan LeeIan R. PetersenDaoyi Dong

To mitigate dissipative effects from environmental interactions and efficiently stabilize quantum states, time-optimal control has emerged as an effective strategy for open quantum systems. This paper extends the framework by incorporating Positive Operator-Valued Measures (POVMs) into the control process, enabling quantum measurements to guide control updates at each step. To address uncertainties in measurement outcomes, we derive a lower bound on the probability of obtaining a desired outcome from POVM-based measurements and establish stability conditions that ensure a monotonic decrease in the cost function. The proposed method is applied to finite-level open quantum systems, and we also present a detailed analysis of two-level systems under depolarizing, phase-damping, and amplitude-damping channels. Numerical simulations validate the effectiveness of the strategy in preserving coherence and achieving high fidelity across diverse noise environments.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.16029 2025-08-22T00:00:00Z 2025-08-22T00:00:00Z Dylan LewisRoeland WiersemaSougato Bose

Designing multi-qubit quantum logic gates with experimental constraints is an important problem in quantum computing. Here, we develop a new quantum optimal control algorithm for finding unitary transformations with constraints on the Hamiltonian. The algorithm, geodesic pulse engineering (GEOPE), uses differential programming and geodesics on the Riemannian manifold of $\textrm{SU}(2^n)$ for $n$ qubits. We demonstrate significant improvements over the widely used gradient-based method, GRAPE, for designing multi-qubit quantum gates. Instead of a local gradient descent, the parameter updates of GEOPE are designed to follow the geodesic to the target unitary as closely as possible. We present numerical results that show that our algorithm converges significantly faster than GRAPE for a range of gates and can find solutions that are not accessible to GRAPE in a reasonable amount of time. The strength of the method is illustrtated with varied multi-qubit gates in 2D neutral Rydberg atom platforms.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02670 2025-08-04T00:00:00Z 2026-07-21T00:00:00Z Nikhil K HarleBo-Yu ChenBob BaoHannes Bernien

The task of atom rearrangement has emerged in the last decade as a fundamental building block in the development of neutral atom-based quantum processors. As such processors grow to thousands of atoms, it becomes increasingly important to design algorithms robust to experimental sources of error. While recent progress has been made towards developing algorithms with favorable time scaling, such work has been limited to noiseless settings. Moreover, there is a lack of open-source code for reproducing and benchmarking existing algorithms. To address these deficiencies, we develop an open-source simulation framework, atommovr, and leverage it to study three distinct settings: 1) time-optimal, noiseless rearrangement, 2) noisy rearrangement under realistic error models, and 3) noiseless dual-species rearrangement. We extract lower bounds for time-optimal rearrangement, study advantageous strategies across different error regimes, and develop a novel dual-species algorithm, InsideOut, capable of avoiding 'blocked' configurations with a near-unity success rate. We hope that atommovr can serve as a common tool for the community to study rearrangement, lower the barrier to entry for new experimental groups, and stimulate progress in developing algorithms tailored to minimize atom loss in experiment.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.01806 2025-08-03T00:00:00Z 2026-04-30T00:00:00Z Ugur G. AbdullaJose H. RodriguesJean-Jacques Slotine

This paper aims to devise the shape of the external electromagnetic field that drives the spin dynamics of radical pairs to a quantum coherent state through maximization of the triplet-born singlet yield in biochemical reactions. The model is a Schrödinger system with spin Hamiltonians given by the sum of Zeeman interaction and hyperfine coupling interaction terms. We introduce a one-parameter family of optimal control problems by coupling the Schrödinger system to a control field through filtering equations for the electromagnetic field. Fréchet differentiability and the Pontryagin Maximum Principle in Hilbert space are proved, and the bang-bang structure of the optimal control is established. A new iterative Pontryagin Maximum Principle (IPMP) method for the identification of the bang-bang optimal control is developed. Numerical simulations based on IPMP and the gradient projection method (GPM) in Hilbert spaces are pursued, and the convergence, stability, and the regularization effect are demonstrated. Comparative analysis of filtering with regular optimal electromagnetic field versus non-filtering with bang-bang optimal field ({\it Abdulla et al, Quantum Sci. Technol., {\bf9}, 4, 2024}) demonstrates that the change of the maxima of the singlet yield is less than 1\%. The results open a venue for a potential experimental work on magnetoreception as a manifestation of quantum biological phenomena.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.17610 2025-06-21T00:00:00Z 2025-11-24T00:00:00Z Davit AghamalyanAleek MaityVarun NarasimhacharV V Sreedhar

We present a novel framework for optimal control in both classical and quantum systems. Our approach leverages the Dirac--Bergmann algorithm: a systematic method for formulating and solving constrained dynamical systems. In contrast to the standard Pontryagin Principle, which is used in control theory, our approach bypasses the need to perform a variation to obtain the optimal solution. Instead, the Dirac--Bergmann algorithm generates the optimal solution automatically, through the closure of the Poission Bracket algebra of the full set of constraints and the Hamiltonian. The efficacy of our framework is demonstrated through two quintessential examples: (1) the classical brachistochrone problem and (2) the time-optimal control of a generic quantum system, relevant for quantum technological applications. In the latter example, both closed and open quantum systems are discussed.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05424 2025-06-05T00:00:00Z 2025-08-10T00:00:00Z Guo-Hua LiangAi-Guo MeiZhi-Hui YangZe-Lin Wei

This study investigates the quantum dynamics of a spin-1/2 particle confined to a curved path from the dynamics of a two-dimensional curved thin-layer system incorporating spin connection contributions. We demonstrate that the geodesic curvature, normal curvature, and geodesic torsion govern the emergent non-Abelian gauge potential, while the geodesic and Gaussian curvatures govern the effective scalar potential in the Hamiltonian. The resulting spin precession dynamics induced by the gauge potential are analyzed with and without the adiabatic approximation. Under this approximation, the surface topology is linked to the rotation angle of spin orientation along a surface boundary and to the pseudo-magnetic flux. Spin texture evolution along helices illustrates distinct behaviors under geodesic versus non-geodesic propagation. Furthermore, the spin evolution along Viviani's curve exemplifies surface dependence. The curve's topology ensures closure of the spin direction and independence of the spin from the path direction. Our theory establishes a framework for spin-state manipulation via engineered nanostructured channels, enabling novel topological quantum control strategies.