Time-optimal universal control of two-level systems under strong driving

Abstract

We report on a theoretical and experimental study of time-optimal construction of arbitrary single-qubit rotations under a single strong driving field of finite amplitude. Using radiation-dressed states of nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond we realize a strongly driven two-level system, with driving frequencies four times larger than its precession frequency. We implement time-optimal universal rotations on this system, characterize their performance using quantum process tomography, and demonstrate a dual-axis multiple-pulse control sequence where the qubit is rotated on time scales faster than its precession period. Our results pave the way for applying fast qubit control and high-density pulse schemes in the fields of quantum information processing and quantum metrology.