Optimal control of open quantum systems applied to the photochemistry of surfaces

A quantum system in a condensed phase undergoes strong dissipative processes. The last decades have seen the rise of experimental and theoretical approaches for gaining control over dissipative phenomena. From a theoretical viewpoint it is important to model such processes in a rigorous way. An efficient and accurate method to find control fields is optimal control theory (OCT). In this Letter, a control scheme relying on OCT with time-dependent targets is employed to minimize dissipation, modeled within the surrogate Hamiltonian approach, on adsorbate-surface systems.