Spin Solitons and Quantum Control of Spin Chain Dynamics

Experiments in coherent spectroscopy correspond to control of quantum mechanical ensembles guiding them from initial to final target states by unitary transformations. The control inputs (pulse sequences) that accomplish these unitary transformations should take as little time as possible so as to minimize the effects of relaxation and to optimize the sensitivity of the experiments. Here, we present a radically different and generally applicable approach to efficient control of dynamics in spin chains of arbitrary length. The approach relies on the creation of localized spin waves, ``spin solitons'', and efficient propagation of these soliton states through the spin chain. The methods presented are expected to find immediate applications in control of spin dynamics in coherent spectroscopy and quantum information processing.