  Particles kicked by external forces to produce mobility distinct from thermal
diffusion are an iconic feature of the active matter problem. Here, we map this
onto a minimal model for experiment and theory covering the wide time and
length scales of usual active matter systems. A particle diffusing in a
harmonic potential generated by an optical trap is kicked by programmed forces
with time correlation at random intervals following the Poisson process. The
model's generic simplicity allows us to find conditions for which displacements
are Gaussian (or not), how diffusion is perturbed (or not) by kicks, and
quantifying heat dissipation to maintain the non-equilibrium steady state in an
active bath. The model reproduces experimental results of tracer mobility in an
active bath of swimming algal cells. It can be used as a stochastic dynamic
simulator for Brownian objects in various active baths without mechanistic
understanding, owing to the generic framework of the protocol.
