Liouville space Redfield equation

Relaxation or chemical exchange can be easily added in Liouville space, by including a Redfield matrix, R, for relaxation, or a kinetic matrix, K, to describe exchange. The equation of motion for a general spin system becomes equation (B2.4.28). 

In an alternative formulation of the Redfield theory, one expresses the density operator by expansion in a suitable operator basis set and formulates the equation of motion directly in terms of the expectation values of the operators (18,20,50). Consider a system of two nuclear spins with the spin quantum number of 1/2,1, and N, interacting with each other through the scalar J-coupling and dipolar interaction. In an isotropic liquid, the former interaction gives rise to J-split doublets, while the dipolar interaction acts as a relaxation mechanism. For the discussion of such a system, the appropriate sixteen-dimensional basis set can for example consist of the unit operator, E, the operators corresponding to the Cartesian components of the two spins, Ix, ly, Iz, Nx, Ny, Nz and the products of the components of I and the components of N (49). These sixteen operators span the Liouville space for our two-spin system. If we concentrate on the longitudinal relaxation (the relaxation connected to the distribution of populations), the Redfield theory predicts the relaxation to follow a set of three coupled differential equations ... 

The classical Liouville equation does have an equivalent in quantum mechanics, which is needed for a consistent description of quantum statistical mechanics the quantum Liouville equation. Equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics requires the introduction of the density operator on an appropriate Hilbert space, and the quantum liouvUle equation for the density operator is a logical and necessary extension of the Schrodinger equation. The quantum Liouville equation can even be written, formally at least, in a form that resembles its classical counterpart. It allows for some weak and almost internally consistent form of dissipative dynamics, known as the Redfield theory, which finds its main use in relating NMR relaxation times to spectral densities arising from solvent fluctuations, although in recent... 

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