Measurement-assisted coherent control

Two advantageous roles of the influence of measurement on a system subject to coherent control are exposed using a five-level model system. In particular, a continuous measurement of the population in a branch state in the Kobrak-Rice extended stimulated Raman adiabatic passage scheme is shown to provide a powerful means for controlling the population transfer branching ratio between two degenerate target states. It is demonstrated that a measurement with a large strength may be used to completely shut off the yield of one target state and that the same measurement with a weak strength can dramatically enhance the robustness of the controlled branching ratio against dephasing. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.