A cavity optomechanical system is initiated by the radiation pressure of a cavity field onto a mirror element acting as a quantum resonator. This radiation pressure can control the thermodynamic character of the mirror to some extent, such as by cooling its effective temperature. Here, we show that by properly engineering the spectral density of a thermal heat bath that interacts with a quantum system, the evolution of the quantum system can be effectively turned on and off. Inside a cavity optomechanical system, when the heat bath is realized by a multi-mode oscillator modelling of the mirror, this on-off effect translates to infusion or extraction of heat energy in and out of the cavity field, facilitating a four-stroke thermodynamic cycle. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.