Noise-induced dynamics of a prototypical bistable system with delayed feedback is studied theoretically and numerically. For small noise and magnitude of the feedback, the problem is reduced to the analysis of the two-state model with transition rates depending on the earlier state of the system. Analytical solutions for the autocorrelation function and the power spectrum have been found. The power spectrum has a peak at the frequency corresponding to the inverse delay time, whose amplitude has a maximum at a certain noise level, thus demonstrating coherence resonance. The linear response to the external periodic force also has maxima at the frequencies corresponding to the inverse delay time and its harmonics.

• Received 5 July 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.250602