Why noise can enhance sensitivity to weak signals

Phys.org  April 5, 2018 To understand stochastic resonance, researchers in Japan established a simple model that excluded friction force, a parameter that they consider negligible in nano- and molecular-scale systems. They found that when a transition occurs without friction, the sensitivity of the bistable system to a Gaussian-noise-imposed weak signal becomes significantly high and the relative difference – which determines the sensitivity – of Gaussian distribution function diverges in its tail edge. This means that the sensitivity becomes anomalously high by increasing the threshold of the bistable system. The finding could pave the way for using noise rather than eliminating […]