Using temperature as the noise source for stochastic resonance and frequency conversion in non-linear photonic cavities

Driven and modulated photonic cavities are extensively studied because they exhibit many interesting effects, such as frequency conversion and reciprocity breaking. In particular, in bistable systems, adding noise can lead to stochastic resonance (SR), which corresponds to periodic transitions between stable states, and can be used, for example, to enhance energy harvesting. In this work, we demonstrate that the system temperature can operate as a noise source for stochastic resonance in modulated Kerr cavities. With SR, the outgoing power at the signal frequency is significantly enhanced, up to 40% for certain regimes. This paves the way for new frequency conversion devices using thermal fluctuations as an effective sideband generator.