Rabi profile framework: A simple analytical and graphical toolkit for quantum control
Abstract
We introduce the Rabi profile, the Rabi spectrum, and the Rabi leak as triad of mathematically rigorous but conceptually transparent quantum-control tools that provide a framework for assessing the feasibility and selectivity of coherent state control in quantum systems with arbitrarily many levels, without recourse to numerical simulation. As the rigorous foundation for this framework, we present a self-contained discussion of the rotating wave approximation (RWA) and its limits, suitable for use as classroom material. We illustrate its practical utility by application to design of superconducting transmon qubits. Because it reduces complex quantum control questions to elementary frequency-domain reasoning, the Rabi profile framework is intended to serve equally as a research diagnostic and as a pedagogical bridge between introductory quantum mechanics and contemporary quantum technologies.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Quantum Information and Cryptography
Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
Quantum optics and atomic interactions
Publication details
- Journal / source
- American Journal of Physics
- Publisher
- American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)
- Volume
- 94
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 877–885
- Publication date
- 22 September 2026
- Language
- EN