Controllability of quantum systems with switching control

Abstract

This article focuses on wavefunction controllability of a class of quantum systems with switching control. First, we present a specific quantum system which is not wavefunction controllable under the action of any one of two controllers with different fixed structures. However, we prove that the system is wavefunction controllable if the control input is allowed to switch between the two controllers. Then we present a sufficient condition for wavefunction controllability of a class of quantum systems with switching control and briefly discuss the problem of control design for such quantum control systems. Finally, two illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate a possible control design process for the proposed method.

Keywords:

• quantum control
• wavefunction controllability
• switching control
• N-level system
• Lyapunov methodology

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council and was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 60703083.