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

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how sinusoidal thermal driving influences heat fluctuations in a harmonic oscillator, revealing resonance effects, non-Gaussian heat distributions, and the importance of inertia in non-equilibrium steady states.

## Contribution

It provides analytical and numerical insights into the effects of periodic thermal driving on heat fluctuations and system dynamics in a harmonic system, highlighting inertia's role.

## Key findings

- Resonant position-velocity correlations emerge under thermal driving.
- Heat distribution becomes non-Gaussian and asymmetric, obeying Fluctuation Theorem.
- Inertia dampens response and slows relaxation to steady state.

## 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.