Frequency-comb response of a parametrically-driven Duffing oscillator to a small added ac excitation

Here we present a one-degree-of-freedom model of a nonlinear parametrically-driven resonator in the presence of a small added ac signal that has spectral responses similar to a frequency comb. The proposed nonlinear resonator has a spread spectrum response with a series of narrow peaks that are equally spaced in frequency. The system displays this behavior most strongly after a symmetry-breaking bifurcation at the onset of parametric instability. We further show that the added ac signal can suppress the transition to parametric instability in the nonlinear oscillator. We also show that the averaging method is able to capture the essential dynamics involved.