Vibrational resonances in driven oscillators with position-dependent mass.

The vibrational resonance (VR) phenomenon has received a great deal of research attention over the two decades since its introduction. The wide range of theoretical and experimental results obtained has, however, been confined to VR in systems with constant mass. We now extend the VR formalism to encompass systems with position-dependent mass (PDM). We consider a generalized classical counterpart of the quantum mechanical nonlinear oscillator with PDM. By developing a theoretical framework for determining the response amplitude of PDM systems, we examine and analyse their VR phenomenona, obtain conditions for the occurrence of resonances, show that the role played by PDM can be both inductive and contributory, and suggest that PDM effects could usefully be explored to maximize the efficiency of devices being operated in VR modes. Our analysis suggests new directions for the investigation of VR in a general class of PDM systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vibrational and stochastic resonance in driven nonlinear systems (part 1)'.

Acoustic vibrational resonance in a Rayleigh-Plesset bubble oscillator.

The phenomenon of vibrational resonance (VR) has been investigated in a Rayleigh-Plesset oscillator for a gas bubble oscillating in an incompressible liquid while driven by a dual-frequency force consisting of high-frequency, amplitude-modulated, weak, acoustic waves. The complex equation of the Rayleigh-Plesset bubble oscillator model was expressed as the dynamics of a classical particle in a potential well of the Liénard type, thus allowing us to use both numerical and analytic approaches to investigate the occurrence of VR. We provide clear evidence that an acoustically-driven bubble oscillates in a time-dependent single or double-well potential whose properties are determined by the density of the liquid and its surface tension. We show both theoretically and numerically that, besides the VR effect facilitated by the variation of the parameters on which the high-frequency depends, amplitude modulation, the properties of the liquid in which the gas bubble oscillates contribute significantly to the occurrence of VR. In addition, we discuss the observation of multiple resonances and their origin for the double-well case, as well as their connection to the low frequency, weak, acoustic force field.

Vibrational resonance in an inhomogeneous medium with periodic dissipation.

The role of nonlinear dissipation in vibrational resonance (VR) is investigated in an inhomogeneous system characterized by a symmetric and spatially periodic potential and subjected to nonuniform state-dependent damping and a biharmonic driving force. The contributions of the parameters of the high-frequency signal to the system's effective dissipation are examined theoretically in comparison to linearly damped systems, for which the parameter of interest is the effective stiffness in the equation of slow vibration. We show that the VR effect can be enhanced by varying the nonlinear dissipation parameters and that it can be induced by a parameter that is shared by the damping inhomogeneity and the system potential. Furthermore, we have apparently identified the origin of the nonlinear-dissipation-enhanced response: We provide evidence of its connection to a Hopf bifurcation, accompanied by monotonic attractor enlargement in the VR regime.

Analysis of vibrational resonance in bi-harmonically driven plasma.

The phenomenon of vibrational resonance (VR) is examined and analyzed in a bi-harmonically driven two-fluid plasma model with nonlinear dissipation. An equation for the slow oscillations of the system is analytically derived in terms of the parameters of the fast signal using the method of direct separation of motion. The presence of a high frequency externally applied electric field is found to significantly modify the system's dynamics, and consequently, induce VR. The origin of the VR in the plasma model has been identified, not only from the effective plasma potential but also from the contributions of the effective nonlinear dissipation. Beside several dynamical changes, including multiple symmetry-breaking bifurcations, attractor escapes, and reversed period-doubling bifurcations, numerical simulations also revealed the occurrence of single and double resonances induced by symmetry breaking bifurcations.