Extracting nanosecond pulse signals via stochastic resonance generated by surface plasmon bistability.

A technology is investigated to extract nanosecond pulse noise hidden signals via stochastic resonance, which is based on surface plasmon bistability. A theoretical model for recovering nanosecond pulse signals is derived to describe the nonlinear process. It is found that the incident angle, polarization state, medium properties, and input noise intensity all determine the efficiency and fidelity of the output signal. The bistable behavior of the output intensity can be accurately controlled to obtain a cross-correlation gain larger than 6 in a wide range of input signal-to-noise ratio from 1∶5 to 1∶30. Meanwhile, the distortion in the time domain induced by phase shift can be reduced to a negligible level. This work provides a potential method for detecting low-level or hidden pulse signals in various communication fields.