Noise-sustained signal propagation

A simple model of a stochastic bistable medium is analytically shown to exhibit pulse propagation sustained by external spatiotemporal noise. In particular, signal transmission is seen to be optimal for a certain nonzero value of the noise intensity, which can be determined theoretically. Numerical simulations confirm the analytical predictions. This property of noise enables the use of the bistable medium as an information channel through which a continuous tin general nonperiodic) string of bits can be transmitted.