N.J. McCullen, T. Mullin and M. Golubitsky
Sensitive signal detection using a feed-forward oscillator network
Phys. Rev. Lett.
98 (2007) 254101.
We present the results of an experimental investigation of a network
of nonlinear coupled oscillators which are coupled in feed forward mode.
By exploiting the nonlinear response of each oscillator near its intrinsic
Hopf bifurcation point we have found remarkable amplification of small
signals over a narrow bandwidth with a large dynamic range. The effect is
exploited to extract a small amplitude periodic signal from an input time
series which is dominated by noise. Specifically, we have used this
relatively simple experimental system to measure responses with a bandwidth
of approximately 1% of the central frequency, amplifications of approximately
60dB, a dynamic range of approximately 80dB and can extract signals from a
time series with a signal to noise ratio of approximately -50dB.