Noise Enhanced Stability

The noise can stabilize a fluctuating or a periodically driven metastable state in such a way that the system remains in this state for a longer time than in the absence of white noise. This is the noise enhanced stability phenomenon, observed experimentally and numerically in different physical systems. After shortly reviewing all the physical systems where the phenomenon was observed, the theoretical approaches used to explain the effect are presented. Specifically the conditions to observe the effect: (a) in systems with periodical driving force, and (b) in random dichotomous driving force, are discussed. In case (b) we review the analytical results concerning the mean first passage time and the nonlinear relaxation time as a function of the white noise intensity, the parameters of the potential barrier, and of the dichotomous noise.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, in press Acta Physica Polonica (2004

Escape Times in Fluctuating Metastable Potential and Acceleration of Diffusion in Periodic Fluctuating Potentials

The problems of escape from metastable state in randomly flipping potential and of diffusion in fast fluctuating periodic potentials are considered. For the overdamped Brownian particle moving in a piecewise linear dichotomously fluctuating metastable potential we obtain the mean first-passage time (MFPT) as a function of the potential parameters, the noise intensity and the mean rate of switchings of the dichotomous noise. We find noise enhanced stability (NES) phenomenon in the system investigated and the parameter region of the fluctuating potential where the effect can be observed. For the diffusion of the overdamped Brownian particle in a fast fluctuating symmetric periodic potential we obtain that the effective diffusion coefficient depends on the mean first-passage time, as discovered for fixed periodic potential. The effective diffusion coefficients for sawtooth, sinusoidal and piecewise parabolic potentials are calculated in closed analytical form.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. In press in Physica A, 2004. In press in Physica A, 200

Noise Enhanced Stability in Fluctuating Metastable States

We derive general equations for the nonlinear relaxation time of Brownian diffusion in randomly switching potential with a sink. For piece-wise linear dichotomously fluctuating potential with metastable state, we obtain the exact average lifetime as a function of the potential parameters and the noise intensity. Our result is valid for arbitrary white noise intensity and for arbitrary fluctuation rate of the potential. We find noise enhanced stability phenomenon in the system investigated: the average lifetime of the metastable state is greater than the time obtained in the absence of additive white noise. We obtain the parameter region of the fluctuating potential where the effect can be observed. The system investigated also exhibits a maximum of the lifetime as a function of the fluctuation rate of the potential.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. E vol. 69 (6),200

Variability in Resistive Memories

Resistive memories are outstanding electron devices that have displayed a large potential in a plethora of applications such as nonvolatile data storage, neuromorphic computing, hardware cryptography, etc. Their fabrication control and performance have been notably improved in the last few years to cope with the requirements of massive industrial production. However, the most important hurdle to progress in their development is the so‐called cycle‐to‐cycle variability, which is inherently rooted in the resistive switching mechanism behind the operational principle of these devices. In order to achieve the whole picture, variability must be assessed from different viewpoints going from the experimental characterization to the adequation of modeling and simulation techniques. Herein, special emphasis is put on the modeling part because the accurate representation of the phenomenon is critical for circuit designers. In this respect, a number of approaches are used to the date: stochastic, behavioral, mesoscopic..., each of them covering particular aspects of the electron and ion transport mechanisms occurring within the switching material. These subjects are dealt with in this review, with the aim of presenting the most recent advancements in the treatment of variability in resistive memories