Stochastic Resonance of a Flexible Chain Crossing over a Barrier

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the flexibility of a polymer chain influences stochastic resonance when crossing a potential barrier, revealing entropic effects and optimal conditions for enhanced signal amplification.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of entropic stochastic resonance in flexible polymers and identifies optimal parameters for signal enhancement and manipulation.

Findings

Power amplification peaks at optimal chain lengths and elastic constants

Enhanced crossing rates due to chain flexibility

Potential applications in biopolymer separation

Abstract

We study the stochastic resonance (SR) of a flexible polymer surmounting a bistable-potential barrier. Due to the flexibility that can enhance crossing rate and change chain conformations at the barrier, the SR behaviors manifest many features of an entropic SR of a new kind, such as the power amplification peaks at optimal chain lengths and elastic constants as well as the optimal noise strengths. The pronounced peaks that emerge depending on the chain lengths and conformation states suggest novel means of manipulating biopolymers, such as efficient separation methods, within undulating channels.