In physics, thermalization, or the trend of
sub-systems within a whole to gain a common temperature, is
typically the norm. There are situations, however, where
thermalization is slowed down or virtually suppressed; examples are
found when considering the dynamics of electron and nuclear spins
in solids, where certain sub-groups behave as if isolated from the
rest. Understanding why this happens and how it can be controlled
is presently at the center of a broad effort, particularly for
applications in the emerging field of quantum information
technologies.
