Energetic Relationships in a Driven Bistable System

Abstract

The motion of an over damped Brownian particle in a bistable potential is analyzed from the perspective of stochastic energetics. Without noise and with the increase of the input amplitude, the work done by the periodic force increases first and reach the maximum, then decreases sharply, and finally increases. Only when the work is more than the height of the barrier and equal to the barrier height plus the work done by the resistance force can the particle jump to the other well. When driven by both the periodic force and noise, the work done by the periodic force changes slightly and exhibits the phenomenon of stochastic resonance when the noise induced interwell is synchronized with the weak periodic force.