Stochastic resonance in bistable and excitable systems: Effect of non-Gaussian noises

We analyze stochastic resonance in systems driven by non-Gaussian noises. For the bistable double well we compare the signal-to-noise ratio resulting from numerical simulations with some quasi-analytical results predicted by a consistent Markovian approximation in the case of a colored non-Gaussian noise. We also study the FitzHugh-Nagumo excitable system in the presence of the same noise. In both systems, we find that, as the noise departs from Gaussian behavior, there is a regime (different for the excitable and the bistable systems) in which there is a notable robustness against noise tuning since the signal-to-noise ratio curve broadens and becomes less sensitive to the actual value of the noise intensity. We also compare our results with some experiments in sensory systems.