Paths of fluctuation induced switching
arXiv:0802.3533 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.130602
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.
Accepted to Phys. Rev. Lett