Unitary bounds and controllability of quantum evolution in NMR spectroscopy

Abstract
The effect of restricted control of unitary quantum evolution is investigated with specific attention to NMR spectroscopy. It is demonstrated that in cases where the Hamiltonian through commutation fails to span the entire Lie algebra su(n) for an n-level quantum system, the maximum transfer efficiency may be reduced significantly relative to previously known unitary bounds on spin dynamics. The paper describes methods to determine the degree of controllability and the conditional unitary bounds induced by restricted control. These features are exemplified in relation to heteronuclear coherence transfer by planar and isotropic mixing in liquid state NMR.