Nonequilibrium control of thermal and mechanical changes in a levitated system

Abstract: Fluctuation theorems are fundamental extensions of the second law of thermodynamics for small nonequilibrium systems. While work and heat are equally important forms of energy exchange, fluctuation relations have not been experimentally assessed for the generic situation of simultaneous mechanical and thermal changes. Thermal driving is indeed generally slow and more difficult to realize than mechanical driving. Here, we use feedback cooling techniques to implement fast and controlled temperature variations of an underdamped levitated microparticle that are one order of magnitude faster than the equilibration time. Combining mechanical and thermal control, we verify the validity of a fluctuation theorem that accounts for both contributions, well beyond the range of linear response theory. Our results allow the investigation of general far-from-equilibrium processes in microscopic systems that involve fast mechanical and thermal changes at the same time.