  The surface code is a spin-1/2 lattice system that can exhibit non-trivial
topological order when defects are punctured in the lattice and thus can be
used as a stabiliser code. The protocols developed to create defects in the
system have previously relied on adiabatic dynamics. In this work we use
techniques of quantum optimal control to overcome the requirement for
adiabaticity and achieve defect creation and implemention of other important
operations required for quantum computation at much faster timescales.
