Fluid Viscoelasticity Triggers Fast Transitions of a Brownian Particle in a Double Well Optical Potential

Thermally activated transitions are ubiquitous in nature, occurring complex environments which typically conceived as ideal viscous fluids. We report the first direct observations of a Brownian bead transiting between wells bistable optical potential viscoelastic fluid with single long relaxation time. precisely characterize both and fluid, thus enabling neat comparison our experimental results theoretical model based on generalized Langevin equation. Our findings reveal drastic amplification transition rates compared to those Newtonian stemming from during particle crossing events.