The development of technologies for the 21st century, coupled with fundamental scientific inquiry, is driving new theoretical and experimental research on control in quantum systems. Experience has shown that systematic use of quantum control theory leads to significant improvements in technologies ranging from magnetic resonance to prototype quantum computers. Compelling case studies of quantum control have been developed in wide-ranging fields such as chemistry, metrology, optical networking and computer science.

This is the fifth international workshop on Principles and Applications for Control of Quantum Systems. The first workshop of that name was held at the California Institute of Technology in 2004. We retain its basic aim: to bring together researchers in physics, control theory, dynamical systems, stochastics, signal processing and information science to strengthen the community of quantum control.

As in previous workshops, all lectures will be from invited speakers, which will present recent developments at the forefronts of theoretical research, experimentation and motivating applications. Time will be set aside for working groups and panel discussions, for the purpose of identifying mathematical models and control problems whose solution will have significant bearing on experimental research in control of quantum systems. The motivation for these problems comes from physics and information science, while their formulation requires the language of control and dynamical systems.