Non-equilibrium thermodynamics in NMR: understanding quadrupolar spin-1 systems

In this study, we explore the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of a quantum system, specifically focusing on spin-1 quadrupole nuclei. By employing fundamental principles from quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, we aim to understand the behavior of the quadrupole spin-1 nuclei when subjected to external perturbations. Our analysis involves the investigation of the system's dynamic response to non-equilibrium conditions through the manipulation of a work parameter. By treating work as a random variable, we gather data from multiple cycles of finite duration, enabling us to compute the complete distribution of the work generated during this process. Through these finite-time non-equilibrium process data, we are able to determine equilibrium values for important quantities such as the difference in free energy between the initial and final states of the system. Additionally, we explore various properties of the system's work distribution.