Quantum control of dissipative systems: Exact solutions

Optimal quantum control theory, which predicts the tailored light fields that best drive a system to a desired target, is applied to the quantum dissipative dynamics of systems linearly coupled to a Gaussian bath. To calculate the material response function required for optimizing the light field, the analytical solution is derived for the two-level Brownian harmonic oscillator model and the recently developed method for directly simulating the Gaussian force is implemented for anharmonic Brownian oscillators. This study confirms the feasibility of quantum control in favorable condensed phase environments and explores new quantum control features in the presence of dissipation, including memory effects and temperature dependence. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.