  Strong-field quantum-state control is investigated, taking advantage of the
full---amplitude and phase---characterization of the interaction between matter
and intense ultrashort pulses via transient-absorption spectroscopy. A sequence
of intense delayed pulses is used, whose parameters are tailored to steer the
system into a desired quantum state. We show how to experimentally enable this
optimization by retrieving all quantum features of the light-matter interaction
from observable spectra. This provides a full characterization of the action of
strong fields on the atomic system, including the dependence upon possibly
unknown pulse properties and atomic structures. Precision and robustness of the
scheme are tested, in the presence of surrounding atomic levels influencing the
system's dynamics.
