A transverse Hamiltonian variational technique for open quantum stochastic systems and its application to coherent quantum control

This paper is concerned with variational methods for nonlinear open quantum systems with Markovian dynamics governed by Hudson-Parthasarathy quantum stochastic differential equations. The latter are driven by quantum Wiener processes of the external boson fields and are specified by the system Hamiltonian and system-field coupling operators. We consider the system response to perturbations of these energy operators and introduce a transverse Hamiltonian which encodes the propagation of the perturbations through the unitary system-field evolution. This provides a tool for the infinitesimal perturbation analysis and development of optimality conditions for coherent quantum control problems. We apply the transverse Hamiltonian variational technique to a mean square optimal coherent quantum filtering problem for a measurement-free cascade connection of quantum systems.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure. A brief version of this paper will appear in the proceedings of the IEEE Multi-Conference on Systems and Control, 21-23 September 2015, Sydney, Australi

A Phase-space Formulation of the Belavkin-Kushner-Stratonovich Filtering Equation for Nonlinear Quantum Stochastic Systems

This paper is concerned with a filtering problem for a class of nonlinear quantum stochastic systems with multichannel nondemolition measurements. The system-observation dynamics are governed by a Markovian Hudson-Parthasarathy quantum stochastic differential equation driven by quantum Wiener processes of bosonic fields in vacuum state. The Hamiltonian and system-field coupling operators, as functions of the system variables, are represented in a Weyl quantization form. Using the Wigner-Moyal phase-space framework, we obtain a stochastic integro-differential equation for the posterior quasi-characteristic function (QCF) of the system conditioned on the measurements. This equation is a spatial Fourier domain representation of the Belavkin-Kushner-Stratonovich stochastic master equation driven by the innovation process associated with the measurements. We also discuss a more specific form of the posterior QCF dynamics in the case of linear system-field coupling and outline a Gaussian approximation of the posterior quantum state.Comment: 12 pages, a brief version of this paper to be submitted to the IEEE 2016 Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century, 13-15 July, Melbourne, Australi

A quantum mechanical version of Price's theorem for Gaussian states

This paper is concerned with integro-differential identities which are known in statistical signal processing as Price's theorem for expectations of nonlinear functions of jointly Gaussian random variables. We revisit these relations for classical variables by using the Frechet differentiation with respect to covariance matrices, and then show that Price's theorem carries over to a quantum mechanical setting. The quantum counterpart of the theorem is established for Gaussian quantum states in the framework of the Weyl functional calculus for quantum variables satisfying the Heisenberg canonical commutation relations. The quantum mechanical version of Price's theorem relates the Frechet derivative of the generalized moment of such variables with respect to the real part of their quantum covariance matrix with other moments. As an illustrative example, we consider these relations for quadratic-exponential moments which are relevant to risk-sensitive quantum control.Comment: 11 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the Australian Control Conference, 17-18 November 2014, Canberra, Australi

Dissipative Linear Stochastic Hamiltonian Systems

This paper is concerned with stochastic Hamiltonian systems which model a class of open dynamical systems subject to random external forces. Their dynamics are governed by Ito stochastic differential equations whose structure is specified by a Hamiltonian, viscous damping parameters and system-environment coupling functions. We consider energy balance relations for such systems with an emphasis on linear stochastic Hamiltonian (LSH) systems with quadratic Hamiltonians and linear coupling. For LSH systems, we also discuss stability conditions, the structure of the invariant measure and its relation with stochastic versions of the virial theorem. Using Lyapunov functions, organised as deformed Hamiltonians, dissipation relations are also considered for LSH systems driven by statistically uncertain external forces. An application of these results to feedback connections of LSH systems is outlined.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, submitted to ANZCC 201