High-fidelity quantum control by polychromatic pulse trains

Abstract: We introduce a quantum control technique using polychromatic pulse sequences (PPS), consisting of pulses with different carrier frequencies, i.e. different detunings with respect to the qubit transition frequency. We derive numerous PPS, which generate broadband, narrowband, and passband excitation profiles for different target transition probabilities. This makes it possible to create high-fidelity excitation profiles which are either (i) robust to deviations in the experimental parameters, which is attractive for quantum computing, or (ii) more sensitive to such variations, which is attractive for cross talk elimination and quantum sensing. The method is demonstrated experimentally using one of IBM's superconducting quantum processors, in a very good agreement between theory and experiment. These results demonstrate both the excellent coherence properties of the IBM qubits and the accuracy, robustness and flexibility of the proposed quantum control technique. They also show that the detuning is as efficient control parameter as the pulse phase that is commonly used in composite pulses. Hence the method opens a variety of perspectives for quantum control in areas where phase manipulation is difficult or inaccurate.