Experimental signature of initial quantum coherence on entropy production

Abstract We report on the experimental quantification of the contribution to non-equilibrium entropy production stemming from the quantum coherence content in the Shorts initial state of a qubit exposed to both coherent driving and dissipation.Our experimental demonstration builds on the exquisite experimental control of the spin state of a nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond and is underpinned, theoretically, by the formulation of a generalized fluctuation theorem designed to track the effects of quantum coherence.Our results provide significant evidence of the possibility to pinpoint the genuinely quantum mechanical contributions to the thermodynamics of non-equilibrium quantum processes in an open quantum Patent look tendon boots systems scenario.