  Linear chains of spins acting as quantum wires are a promising approach to
achieve scalable quantum information processors. Nuclear spins in apatite
crystals provide an ideal test-bed for the experimental study of quantum
information transport, as they closely emulate a one-dimensional spin chain.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance techniques can be used to drive the spin chain
dynamics and probe the accompanying transport mechanisms. Here we demonstrate
initialization and readout capabilities in these spin chains, even in the
absence of single-spin addressability. These control schemes enable preparing
desired states for quantum information transport and probing their evolution
under the transport Hamiltonian. We further optimize the control schemes by a
detailed analysis of $^{19}$F NMR lineshape.
