Noise-induced transport in a periodic square-well potential

Abstract We investigate a thermal ratchet based on a Brownian particle in a spatially periodic square-well potential driven by a time-dependent square-wave signal. In this model, we rock the Brownian particle between two square-well potentials tilted in opposite directions to induce a net current. Employing the Stratonovich formula and an independent approach using suitable boundary conditions and a normalization condition, we obtain an exact expression for the current in the adiabatic limit, and we observe that there are optimal values of various parameters at which the current can be maximized. In several parameter regimes, our simple non-linear model displays a behavior distinct from some other models of a rocked ratchet. For example, a reversal in the current direction is observed as the square-wave signal’s amplitude or the thermal bath’s temperature is varied. However, under similar conditions, no such current reversal was seen in the case of a periodically rocked Brownian motor in a sawtooth or a smooth potential. Furthermore, unlike the latter type of rocked Brownian motors, the square-well model yields zero current in the deterministic limit, as thermal energy is indispensable for the functioning of the motor.