Interference of stochastic resonances: splitting of Kramers' rate

Stochastic resonance and bifurcations in a harmonically driven tri-stable potential with colored noise

Stochastic resonance (SR) and stochastic bifurcations are investigated numerically in a nonlinear tri-stable system driven by colored noise and a harmonic excitation. The power spectral density, signal-to-noise ratio, stationary probability density (SPD), and largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) are calculated to quantify SR, P-bifurcation, and D-bifurcation, respectively. The effects of system parameters, such as noise intensity and correlation time, well-depth ratio, and damping coefficient, on SR and stochastic bifurcations are explored. Numerical results show that both noise-induced suppression and SR can be observed in this system. The SPD changes from bimodal to trimodal and then to the unimodal structure by choosing well-depth ratio, correlation time, and noise intensity as bifurcation parameters, which shows the occurrence of stochastic P-bifurcation. The stochastic D-bifurcation is found through the calculation of LLE. Moreover, the relationship between SR and stochastic bifurcation is explored thoroughly. It indicates that the optimal SR occurs near D-bifurcation and can be realized with weak chaos by adjusting the proper parameters. Finally, the tri-stable energy harvester is chosen as an example to show the improvement of the system performance by exploiting SR and stochastic bifurcations.

Periodic force induced stabilization or destabilization of the denatured state of a protein

We have studied the effects of an external sinusoidal force in protein folding kinetics. The externally applied force field acts on the each amino acid residues of polypeptide chains. Our simulation results show that mean protein folding time first increases with driving frequency and then decreases passing through a maximum. With further increase of the driving frequency the mean folding time starts increasing as the noise-induced hoping event (from the denatured state to the native state) begins to experience many oscillations over the mean barrier crossing time period. Thus unlike one-dimensional barrier crossing problems, the external oscillating force field induces both stabilization or destabilization of the denatured state of a protein. We have also studied the parametric dependence of the folding dynamics on temperature, viscosity, non-Markovian character of bath in presence of the external field.

Stochastic resonance in periodic potentials

The phenomenon of stochastic resonance (SR) is known to occur mostly in bistable systems. However, the question of the occurrence of SR in periodic potential systems has not been resolved conclusively. Our present numerical work shows that the periodic potential system indeed exhibits SR in the high-frequency regime, where the linear-response theory yields maximum frequency-dependent mobility as a function of noise strength. The existence of two (and only two) distinct dynamical states of trajectories in this moderately feebly damped periodically driven noisy periodic potential system plays an important role in the occurrence of SR.

Analysis of vibrational resonance in a quintic oscillator

We consider a damped quintic oscillator with double-well and triple-well potentials driven by both low-frequency force f cos (omega)t and high-frequency force g cos (Omega)t with Omega>>omega and analyze the occurrence of vibrational resonance. The response consists of a slow motion with frequency omega and a fast motion with frequency Omega. We obtain an approximate analytical expression for the response amplitude Q at the low-frequency omega. From the analytical expression of Q, we determine the values of omega and g (denoted as omega(VR) and g(VR)) at which vibrational resonance occurs. The theoretical predictions are found to be in good agreement with numerical results. We show that for fixed values of the parameters of the system, as omega varies, resonance occurs at most one value of omega. When the amplitude g is varied we found two and four resonances in the system with double-well and triple-well cases, respectively. We present examples of resonance (i) without cross-well motion and (ii) with cross-well orbit far before and far after it. omega(VR) depends on the damping strength d while g(VR) is independent of d. Moreover, the effect of d is found to decrease the response amplitude Q.

Single and multiple vibrational resonance in a quintic oscillator with monostable potentials

We analyze the occurrence of vibrational resonance in a damped quintic oscillator with three cases of single well of the potential V(x)=1/2omega(0)(2)x(2)+1/4betax(4)+1/6gammax(6) driven by both low-frequency force f cos omegat and high-frequency force g cos Omegat with Omega >> omega. We restrict our analysis to the parametric choices (i) omega(0)(2), beta, gamma > 0 (single well), (ii) omega(0)(2), gamma > 0, beta < 0, beta(2) < 4omega(0)(2)gamma (single well), and (iii) omega(0)(2) > 0, beta arbitrary, gamma < 0 (double-hump single well). From the approximate theoretical expression of response amplitude Q at the low-frequency omega we determine the values of omega and g (denoted as omega(VR) and g(VR)) at which vibrational resonance occurs. We show that for fixed values of the parameters of the system when omega is varied either resonance does not occur or it occurs only once. When the amplitude g is varied for the case of the potential with the parametric choice (i) at most one resonance occur while for the other two choices (ii) and (iii) multiple resonance occur. Further, g(VR) is found to be independent of the damping strength d while omega(VR) depends on d. The theoretical predictions are found to be in good agreement with the numerical result. We illustrate that the vibrational resonance can be characterized in terms of width of the orbit also.

Multiplicative cross-correlated noise induced escape rate from a metastable state

We present an analytical framework to study the escape rate from a metastable state under the influence of two external multiplicative cross-correlated noise processes. By starting from a phenomenological stationary Langevin description with multiplicative noise processes, we have investigated the Kramers theory for activated rate processes in a nonequilibrium open system (one dimensional in nature) driven by two external cross-correlated noise processes which are Gaussian, stationary, and delta correlated. Based on the Fokker-Planck description in phase space, we then derive the escape rate from a metastable state in the moderate to large friction limit to study the effect of degree of correlation on the same. By employing numerical simulation in the presence of external cross-correlated additive and multiplicative noises, we check the validity of our analytical formalism for constant dissipation, which shows a satisfactory agreement between both the approaches for the specific choice of noise processes. It is evident both from analytical development and the corresponding numerical simulation that the enhancement of rate is possible by increasing the degree of correlation of the external fluctuations.

Noise correlation-induced splitting of Kramers’ escape rate from a metastable state

A correlation between two noise processes driving the thermally activated particles in a symmetric triple-well potential may cause a symmetry breaking and a difference in relative stability of the two side wells with respect to the middle one. This leads to an asymmetric localization of population and splitting of Kramers' rate of escape from the middle well, ensuring a preferential distribution of the products in the course of a parallel reaction.