Information theoretical limits for quantum optimal control solutions: error scaling of noisy control channels

Abstract

Abstract Accurate manipulations of an open quantum system require a deep knowledge of its controllability properties and the information content of the implemented control fields. By using tools of information and quantum optimal control theory, we provide analytical bounds (information-time bounds) to characterize our capability to control the system when subject to arbitrary sources of noise. Moreover, since the presence of an external noise field induces open quantum system dynamics, we also show that the results provided by the information-time bounds are in very good agreement with the Kofman–Kurizki universal formula describing decoherence processes. Finally, we numerically test the scaling of the control accuracy as a function of the noise parameters, by means of the dressed chopped random basis (dCRAB) algorithm for quantum optimal control.