Stochastic Phase Switching of a Parametrically Driven Electron in a Penning Trap

Fluctuation-induced switching of driven bistable systems, far from equilibrium, has been the focus of theoretical analysis and analog circuit computations. A parametrically driven electron in a Penning trap is shown to be a nearly ideal experimental realization. Noise applied to this dynamic double well system produces random switching between two steady-state oscillations which differ in the oscillation phase by ${180}^{\circ }$.