Paths of fluctuation induced switching
Statistical Mechanics
2009-11-13 v1 Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Abstract
We demonstrate that the paths followed by a system in fluctuation-activated switching form a narrow tube in phase space. A theory of the path distribution is developed and its direct measurement is performed in a micromechanical oscillator. The experimental and theoretical results are in excellent agreement, with no adjustable parameters. We also demonstrate the lack of time-reversal symmetry in switching of systems far from thermal equilibrium.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0802.3533,
title = {Paths of fluctuation induced switching},
author = {H. B. Chan and M. I. Dykman and C. Stambaugh},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0802.3533},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
Accepted to Phys. Rev. Lett