An optimal control problem for the Wigner equation

The Wigner quasi-density function allows a phase-space formulation of statistical quantum mechanics that is of fundamental importance in theoretical investigation and in applications. This work contributes to these tasks with the formulation and analysis of an optimal control problem for the Wigner equation, which describes the time evolution of the quasi-density function. For this purpose, two possible control mechanisms are considered and, correspondingly, a detailed analysis in weighted Sobolev spaces for the controlled nonhomogeneous Wigner equation is presented. Further theoretical results are reported concerning existence of optimal controls and differentiability of the control-to-state map and of the ensemble cost functional, which allows the derivation of the optimality system that characterizes the optimal controls sought.