Local control theory for superconducting qubits

In this work, we develop a method to design control pulses for fixed-frequency superconducting qubits coupled via tunable couplers based on local control theory, an approach commonly employed to steer chemical reactions. Local control theory provides an algorithm for the monotonic population transfer from a selected initial state to a desired final state of a quantum system through the on-the-fly shaping of an external pulse. The method, which only requires a unique forward time-propagation of the system wavefunction, can serve as starting point for additional refinements that lead to new pulses with improved properties. Among others, we propose an algorithm for the design of pulses that can transfer population in a reversible manner between given initial and final states of coupled fixed-frequency superconducting qubits.