FREQUENCY MIXING IN A BISTABLE SYSTEM IN THE PRESENCE OF NOISE

The dynamics of a bistable system resulting from the action of several periodic perturbations and noise is studied. The response of the syst em at combination harmonics and the changes in the response caused by high-frequency modulation and a constant field that removes the degene racy in the bistable system are calculated. The mixing of harmonics is investigated experimentally in an iron garnet thin film. It is shown that the higher harmonics exhibit behavior characteristic of stochasti c resonance and that the form and symmetry of the dependence of harmon ics on the constant field removing the degeneracy can be used to deter mine the characteristics of a bistable system with respect to its resp onse to external periodic modulation. (C) 1997 American Institute of P hysics.