Universality in escape from a modulated potential well

Abstract

We show that the rate of activated escape $W$ from a periodically modulated potential displays scaling behavior versus modulation amplitude $A$. For adiabatic modulation of an optically trapped Brownian particle, measurements yield $\ln W\propto (A_{\rm c} - A)^μ$ with $μ= 1.5$. The theory gives $μ=3/2$ in the adiabatic limit and predicts a crossover to $μ=2$ scaling as $A$ approaches the bifurcation point where the metastable state disappears.