Activation barrier scaling and crossover for noise-induced switching in a micromechanical parametric oscillator

TL;DR

This paper investigates how noise causes state transitions in a micromechanical oscillator, revealing universal scaling laws near bifurcations and a device-specific crossover at large detuning.

Contribution

It demonstrates the universal power law scaling of activation barriers near bifurcations and identifies a crossover to a different scaling regime at large detuning in a micromechanical system.

Findings

Activation barriers follow a power law near bifurcations.

Universal critical exponents agree with theoretical predictions.

Crossover to a device-specific power law at large detuning.

Abstract

We explore fluctuation-induced switching in a parametrically-driven micromechanical torsional oscillator. The oscillator possesses one, two or three stable attractors depending on the modulation frequency. Noise induces transitions between the coexisting attractors. Near the bifurcation points, the activation barriers are found to have a power law dependence on frequency detuning with critical exponents that are in agreement with predicted universal scaling relationships. At large detuning, we observe a crossover to a different power law dependence with an exponent that is device specific.