Colet, P.San Miguel Ruibal, MaximinoCasademunt i Viader, JaumeSancho, José M.2009-09-252009-09-2519891050-2947https://hdl.handle.net/2445/9442Characteristic decay times for relaxation close to the marginal point of optical bistability are studied. A model-independent formula for the decay time is given which interpolates between Kramers time for activated decay and a deterministic relaxation time. This formula gives the decay time as a universal scaling function of the parameter which measures deviation from marginality. The standard deviation of the first-passage-time distribution is found to vary linearly with the decay time, close to marginality, with a slope independent of the noise intensity. Our results are substantiated by numerical simulations and their experimental relevance is pointed out.8 p.application/pdfeng(c) The American Physical Society, 1989Òptica quànticaFluctuacions (Física)Quantum opticsFluctuations (Physics)info:eu-repo/semantics/article38126info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess