Running-mode resonance in A.C.-biased periodic potential

Abstract

We investigate the stochastic dynamics of a particle in the presence of a modulated sinusoidal potential. Using the time derivative of the winding number, we quantify the particle's motion according to its running time, the time it runs monotonically to the left or right. For a range of model parameters, we show that, in the overdamped regime, the particle's motion in this modulated washboard potential exhibits stochastic resonance. We briefly suggest possible applications of our results, including the amplification of signals for measurement devices and in stimulated tunneling of Bose-Einstein condensates.

5 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. E