A method for decreasing entropy in a system includes iteratively applying a set of electromagnetic (EM) pulses to the system, the set of EM pulses effect swaps between the following pairs of system energy levels: a first system energy level in which the reset system is in a lowest energy level and the target system is in a first target system energy level that is not a lowest energy level, and a corresponding second system energy level in which the reset system is in a highest energy level and the target system is in a second target system energy level that is next lowest in energy after the first target system energy level, and waiting a time period.