Design of coherent quantum observers for linear quantum systems

Quantum versions of control problems are often more difficult than their classical counterparts because of the additional constraints imposed by quantum dynamics. For example, the quantum LQG and quantum H infinity optimal control problems remain open. To make further progress, new, systematic and tractable methods need to be developed. This paper gives three algorithms for designing coherent observers, i.e., quantum systems that are connected to a quantum plant and their outputs provide information about the internal state of the plant. Importantly, coherent observers avoid measurements of the plant outputs. We compare our coherent observers with a classical (measurement-based) observer by way of an example involving an optical cavity with thermal and vacuum noises as inputs.