Bounding fidelity in quantum feedback control: theory and applications to Dicke state preparation

Abstract Achieving unit fidelity in quantum state preparation is often impossible in the presence of environmental decoherence. While continuous monitoring and feedback control can improve fidelity, perfect state preparation remains elusive in many scenarios. Inspired by quantum speed limits, we derive a fundamental bound on the steady-state average fidelity achievable via continuous monitoring and feedback control. This bound depends only on the unconditional Lindblad dynamics, the Hamiltonian variance, and the target state. We also adapt the bound to the case of Markovian feedback strategies. We then focus on preparing Dicke states in an atomic ensemble subject to collective damping and dispersive coupling. By imposing additional constraints on control Hamiltonians and monitoring strategies, we derive tighter fidelity bounds. Finally, we propose specific control strategies and validate them using reinforcement learning. Benchmarking their performance against our theoretical bounds highlights the relevance and usefulness of these bounds in characterizing quantum feedback control strategies.