Quantum control of electron dynamics

We present computational examples of the quantum control of electron dynamics in the time-domain. We use a general Liouville-space, density matrix formalism to predict the electric field that best drives a system to a chosen outcome, at a chosen time. The method is applicable, in principle, to atoms and molecules, and to gases, clusters, surfaces and condensed phases. In this work, we specialize to the control of radial electron wave packets in the hydrogen atom. We illustrate the method with two examples, a reflectron and a transient quantum nanostructure. In the reflection, we focus an electronic wave packet to have maximum overlap at a specified time with a Gaussian target localized in position and momentum, with the momentum directed towards the nucleus. In the nanostructure, we focus the wave packet onto a target that is double-peaked in position, with momentum directed away from the nucleus.