Optimal Pulse Design for Dissipative-Stimulated Raman Exact Passage

Area of Science:

• Quantum physics
• Quantum control
• Atomic, molecular, and optical physics

Background:

• Quantum control of lossy systems often uses adiabatic passage via approximate dark states.
• Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage (STIRAP) is a key example, but can be inefficient for lossy excited states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design more efficient quantum control routes for lossy systems.
• To optimize quantum state transfer based on energy or time minimization.

Main Methods:

• Systematic optimal control study using the Pontryagin maximum principle.
• Design and analysis of alternative adiabatic passage sequences.

Main Results:

• Optimal control strategies were identified for both energy and time minimization.
• Energy minimization yielded simple π-pulse sequences for low loss.
• Time minimization resulted in an Intuitive/Counterintuitive/Intuitive (ICI) sequence, forming Stimulated Raman Exact Passage (STIREP).
• STIREP demonstrated superior speed, accuracy, and robustness over STIRAP for low admissible loss.

Conclusions:

• Optimal control provides efficient pathways for quantum control in lossy systems.
• STIREP represents a significant advancement over STIRAP for time-optimized quantum state transfer.
• The developed methods offer practical improvements for quantum technologies operating with inherent losses.