Engineering arbitrary pure and mixed quantum states

Abstract: This work addresses a fundamental problem of controllability of open quantum systems, meaning the ability to steer arbitrary initial system density matrix into any final density matrix. We show that under certain general conditions open quantum systems are completely controllable and propose the first, to the best of our knowledge, deterministic method for a laboratory realization of such controllability which allows for a practical engineering of arbitrary pure and mixed quantum states. The method exploits manipulation by the system with a laser field and a tailored nonequilibrium and time-dependent state of the surrounding environment. As a physical example of the environment we consider incoherent light, where control is its spectral density. The method has two specifically important properties: it realizes the strongest possible degree of quantum state control --- complete density matrix controllability which is the ability to steer arbitrary pure and mixed initial states into any desired pure or mixed final state, and is "all-to-one", i.e. such that each particular control can transfer simultaneously all initial system states into one target state.