We study the response of a noise-driven absorptive optical bistable system which is subjected to deterministic periodic perturbations of the incident light intensity. This system is characterized by state-dependent noise which in turn can strongly enhance—via stochastic resonance—the response due to the external periodic perturbation. We demonstrate that the condition for stochastic resonance sensitively depends on the shape of the bistable generalized potential (symmetric or asymmetric). Furthermore, the generation of higher harmonics is studied in the presence of fluctuations. We report on a novel phase-sensitive resonance phenomenon which virtually eliminates the higher harmonics and thus allows for distortion-free amplification of signals via stochastic resonance.

• Received 7 December 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.49.3930