Maximizing coherence of oscillations by external locking

Abstract

We study how the coherence of noisy oscillations can be optimally enhanced by external locking. Basing on the condition of minimizing the phase diffusion constant, we find the optimal forcing explicitly in the limits of small and large noise, in dependence of phase sensitivity of the oscillator. We show that the form of the optimal force bifurcates with the noise intensity. In the limit of small noise, the results are compared with purely deterministic conditions of optimal locking.