Elementary solution to the time-independent quantum navigation problem

Abstract

A quantum navigation problem concerns the identification of a time-optimal Hamiltonian that realises a required quantum process or task, under the influence of a prevailing `background' Hamiltonian that cannot be manipulated. When the task is to transform one quantum state into another, finding the solution in closed form to the problem is nontrivial even in the case of time-independent Hamiltonians. An elementary solution, based on trigonometric analysis, is found here when the Hilbert space dimension is two. Difficulties arising from generalisations to higher-dimensional systems are discussed.