Parametrically excited non-linearity in Van der Pol oscillator: Resonance, anti-resonance and switch

•We study the effect of parametric forcing directly on the non-linear term of Van der Pol oscillator.•We discover some hitherto undiscovered types of resonance and anti-resonance effects.•We show how to build a binary switch using two Van der Pol oscillators.

We discover presence of a hitherto unexplored type of resonance in a parametrically excited Van der Pol oscillator where the non-linear damping term has been modified. The oscillator also possesses a state of anti-resonance. In the weak non-linear limit, we explain how to practically get a complete picture of different states of limiting oscillations present in the oscillator when the non-linear term therein is excited by an arbitrary 2π2π periodic function of time. We also illustrate how two such oscillators can be coupled to behave like a two-state switch allowing a sharp change of value of amplitude for stable oscillations from one constant to another.