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arXiv · 2509.00239

Impact of periodic thermal driving on heat fluctuations in a harmonic system

Felipe P. Abreu·Welles A. M. Morgado
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Abstract

The thermodynamics of mesoscopic systems driven by time-varying temperatures is crucial for understanding biological systems, designing nanoscale engines, and performing micro-particle cooling. In this work, we analyze an underdamped Brownian particle in a harmonic trap under a sinusoidal thermal protocol. Through analytical methods and numerical simulations, we analyze the system's dynamics and heat statistics. We report the emergence of resonant position-velocity correlations and a non-Gaussian, asymmetric heat distribution consistent with the Fluctuation Theorem. We demonstrate that inertia is a key parameter, damping the system's response and slowing its relaxation to a periodic non-equilibrium steady state. Our results show that oscillatory thermal driving is a powerful tool for controlling nanoscale energy flow.

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Felipe P. Abreu, Welles A. M. Morgado. 2025-08-29. Impact of periodic thermal driving on heat fluctuations in a harmonic system. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.00239

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