The Crooks relation in optical spectra - universality in work distributions for weak local quenches

Understand

We show that work distributions and non-equilibrium work fluctuation theorems can be measured in optical spectra for a wide class of quantum systems.

• We consider systems where the absorption or emission of a photon corresponds to the sudden switch on or off of a local perturbation.
• For the particular case of a weak local perturbation, the Crooks relation establishes a universal relation in absorption as well as in emission spectra.
• Due to a direct relation between the spectra and work distribution functions this is equivalent to universal relations in work distributions for weak local quenches.