SYNCHRONIZATION AND TRANSPORT IN AN OSCILLATING PERIODIC POTENTIAL

Abstract

We study the motion of overdamped Brownian particles in a periodic potential with a temporally oscillating amplitude. First we investigate diffusive motion in the untitled potential. Furthermore, if a constant force is applied, the oscillating potential induces a synchronized motion. The deterministic dynamics becomes in resonance with the potential oscillations. This dynamics gives rise to a transport with extremely low dispersion. We distinguish slow and fast oscillatory driving and give analytical expressions for the mean velocity and effective diffusion.