Optimal Control for One-Qubit Quantum Sensing

Quantum systems can be exquisite sensors thanks to their sensitivity to external perturbations. This same characteristic also makes them fragile to external noise. Quantum control can tackle the challenge of protecting a quantum sensor from environmental noise, while strongly coupling the sensor with the field to be measured. As the compromise between these two conflicting requirements does not always have an intuitive solution, optimal control based on a numerical search could prove very effective. Here, we adapt optimal control theory to the quantum-sensing scenario by introducing a cost function that, unlike the usual fidelity of operation, correctly takes into account both the field to be measured and the environmental noise. We experimentally implement this novel control paradigm using a nitrogen vacancy center in diamond, finding improved sensitivity to a broad set of time-varying fields. The demonstrated robustness and efficiency of the numerical optimization, as well as the sensitivity advantage it bestows, will prove beneficial to many quantum-sensing applications.