Invariant submanifold for series arrays of Josephson junctions

Complexified synchrony

The Kuramoto model and its generalizations have been broadly employed to characterize and mechanistically understand various collective dynamical phenomena, especially the emergence of synchrony among coupled oscillators. Despite almost five decades of research, many questions remain open, in particular, for finite-size systems. Here, we generalize recent work [Thümler et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 187201 (2023)] on the finite-size Kuramoto model with its state variables analytically continued to the complex domain and also complexify its system parameters. Intriguingly, systems of two units with purely imaginary coupling do not actively synchronize even for arbitrarily large magnitudes of the coupling strengths, |K|→∞, but exhibit conservative dynamics with asynchronous rotations or librations for all |K|. For generic complex coupling, both traditional phase-locked states and asynchronous states generalize to complex locked states, fixed points off the real subspace that exist even for arbitrarily weak coupling. We analyze a new collective mode of rotations exhibiting finite, yet arbitrarily large rotation numbers. Numerical simulations for large networks indicate a novel form of discontinuous phase transition. We close by pointing to a range of exciting questions for future research.

Order parameter dynamics in complex systems: From models to data

Collective ordering behaviors are typical macroscopic manifestations embedded in complex systems and can be ubiquitously observed across various physical backgrounds. Elements in complex systems may self-organize via mutual or external couplings to achieve diverse spatiotemporal coordinations. The order parameter, as a powerful quantity in describing the transition to collective states, may emerge spontaneously from large numbers of degrees of freedom through competitions. In this minireview, we extensively discussed the collective dynamics of complex systems from the viewpoint of order-parameter dynamics. A synergetic theory is adopted as the foundation of order-parameter dynamics, and it focuses on the self-organization and collective behaviors of complex systems. At the onset of macroscopic transitions, slow modes are distinguished from fast modes and act as order parameters, whose evolution can be established in terms of the slaving principle. We explore order-parameter dynamics in both model-based and data-based scenarios. For situations where microscopic dynamics modeling is available, as prototype examples, synchronization of coupled phase oscillators, chimera states, and neuron network dynamics are analytically studied, and the order-parameter dynamics is constructed in terms of reduction procedures such as the Ott-Antonsen ansatz, the Lorentz ansatz, and so on. For complicated systems highly challenging to be well modeled, we proposed the eigen-microstate approach (EMP) to reconstruct the macroscopic order-parameter dynamics, where the spatiotemporal evolution brought by big data can be well decomposed into eigenmodes, and the macroscopic collective behavior can be traced by Bose-Einstein condensation-like transitions and the emergence of dominant eigenmodes. The EMP is successfully applied to some typical examples, such as phase transitions in the Ising model, climate dynamics in earth systems, fluctuation patterns in stock markets, and collective motion in living systems.

Chaotic chimera attractors in a triangular network of identical oscillators

A prominent type of collective dynamics in networks of coupled oscillators is the coexistence of coherently and incoherently oscillating domains known as chimera states. Chimera states exhibit various macroscopic dynamics with different motions of the Kuramoto order parameter. Stationary, periodic and quasiperiodic chimeras are known to occur in two-population networks of identical phase oscillators. In a three-population network of identical Kuramoto-Sakaguchi phase oscillators, stationary and periodic symmetric chimeras were previously studied on a reduced manifold in which two populations behaved identically [Phys. Rev. E 82, 016216 (2010)1539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.82.016216]. In this paper, we study the full phase space dynamics of such three-population networks. We demonstrate the existence of macroscopic chaotic chimera attractors that exhibit aperiodic antiphase dynamics of the order parameters. We observe these chaotic chimera states in both finite-sized systems and the thermodynamic limit outside the Ott-Antonsen manifold. The chaotic chimera states coexist with a stable chimera solution on the Ott-Antonsen manifold that displays periodic antiphase oscillation of the two incoherent populations and with a symmetric stationary chimera solution, resulting in tristability of chimera states. Of these three coexisting chimera states, only the symmetric stationary chimera solution exists in the symmetry-reduced manifold.

Hierarchy of Exact Low-Dimensional Reductions for Populations of Coupled Oscillators

We consider an ensemble of phase oscillators in the thermodynamic limit, where it is described by a kinetic equation for the phase distribution density. We propose an Ansatz for the circular moments of the distribution (Kuramoto-Daido order parameters) that allows for an exact truncation at an arbitrary number of modes. In the simplest case of one mode, the Ansatz coincides with that of Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)CHAOEH1054-150010.1063/1.2930766]. Dynamics on the extended manifolds facilitate higher-dimensional behavior such as chaos, which we demonstrate with a simulation of a Josephson junction array. The findings are generalized for oscillators with a Cauchy-Lorentzian distribution of natural frequencies.

Reduction Methodology for Fluctuation Driven Population Dynamics

Lorentzian distributions have been largely employed in statistical mechanics to obtain exact results for heterogeneous systems. Analytic continuation of these results is impossible even for slightly deformed Lorentzian distributions due to the divergence of all the moments (cumulants). We have solved this problem by introducing a "pseudocumulants" expansion. This allows us to develop a reduction methodology for heterogeneous spiking neural networks subject to extrinsic and endogenous fluctuations, thus obtaining a unified mean-field formulation encompassing quenched and dynamical sources of disorder.

Stability and bifurcation of collective dynamics in phase oscillator populations with general coupling

The Kuramoto model serves as an illustrative paradigm for studying the synchronization transitions and collective behaviors in large ensembles of coupled dynamical units. In this paper, we present a general framework for analytically capturing the stability and bifurcation of the collective dynamics in oscillator populations by extending the global coupling to depend on an arbitrary function of the Kuramoto order parameter. In this generalized Kuramoto model with rotation and reflection symmetry, we show that all steady states characterizing the long-term macroscopic dynamics can be expressed in a universal profile given by the frequency-dependent version of the Ott-Antonsen reduction, and the introduced empirical stability criterion for each steady state degenerates to a remarkably simple expression described by the self-consistent equation [Iatsenko et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 064101 (2013)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.110.064101]. Here, we provide a detailed description of the spectrum structure in the complex plane by performing a rigorous stability analysis of various steady states in the reduced system. More importantly, we uncover that the empirical stability criterion for each steady state involved in the system is completely equivalent to its linear stability condition that is determined by the nontrivial eigenvalues (discrete spectrum) of the linearization. Our study provides a new and widely applicable approach for exploring the stability properties of collective synchronization, which we believe improves the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of phase transitions and bifurcations in coupled dynamical networks.

Collective in-plane magnetization in a two-dimensional XY macrospin system within the framework of generalized Ott-Antonsen theory

The problem of magnetic transitions between the low-temperature (macrospin ordered) phases in two-dimensional XY arrays is addressed. The system is modelled as a plane structure of identical single-domain particles arranged in a square lattice and coupled by the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction; all the particles possess a strong easy-plane magnetic anisotropy. The basic state of the system in the considered temperature range is an antiferromagnetic (AF) stripe structure, where the macrospins (particle magnetic moments) are still involved in thermofluctuational motion: the superparamagnetic blocking T_b temperature is lower than that (T_af) of the AF transition. The description is based on the stochastic equations governing the dynamics of individual magnetic moments, where the interparticle interaction is added in the mean-field approximation. With the technique of a generalized Ott-Antonsen theory, the dynamics equations for the order parameters (including the macroscopic magnetization and the AF order parameter) and the partition function of the system are rigorously obtained and analysed. We show that inside the temperature interval of existence of the AF phase, a static external field tilted to the plane of the array is able to induce first-order phase transitions from AF to ferromagnetic state; the phase diagrams displaying stable and metastable regions of the system are presented. This article is part of the theme issue 'Patterns in soft and biological matters'.

The role of timescale separation in oscillatory ensembles with competitive coupling

We study a heterogeneous population consisting of two groups of oscillatory elements, one with attractive and one with repulsive coupling. Moreover, we set different internal timescales for the oscillators of the two groups and concentrate on the role of this timescale separation in the collective behavior. Our results demonstrate that it may significantly modify synchronization properties of the system, and the implications are fundamentally different depending on the ratio between the group timescales. For the slower attractive group, synchronization properties are similar to the case of equal timescales. However, when the attractive group is faster, these properties significantly change and bistability appears. The other collective regimes such as frozen states and solitary states are also shown to be crucially influenced by timescale separation.

Synchronization in starlike networks of phase oscillators

We fully describe the mechanisms underlying synchronization in starlike networks of phase oscillators. In particular, the routes to synchronization and the critical points for the associated phase transitions are determined analytically. In contrast to the classical Kuramoto theory, we unveil that relaxation rates to each equilibrium state indeed exist and remain invariant under three levels of descriptions corresponding to different geometric implications. The special symmetry in the coupling determines a quasi-Hamiltonian property, which is further unveiled on the basis of singular perturbation theory. Since starlike coupling configurations constitute the building blocks of technological and biological real world networks, our paper paves the way towards the understanding of the functioning of such real world systems in many practical situations.

Complexity reduction ansatz for systems of interacting orientable agents: Beyond the Kuramoto model

Previous results have shown that a large class of complex systems consisting of many interacting heterogeneous phase oscillators exhibit an attracting invariant manifold. This result has enabled reduced analytic system descriptions from which all the long term dynamics of these systems can be calculated. Although very useful, these previous results are limited by the restriction that the individual interacting system components have one-dimensional dynamics, with states described by a single, scalar, angle-like variable (e.g., the Kuramoto model). In this paper, we consider a generalization to an appropriate class of coupled agents with higher-dimensional dynamics. For this generalized class of model systems, we demonstrate that the dynamics again contain an invariant manifold, hence enabling previously inaccessible analysis and improved numerical study, allowing a similar simplified description of these systems. We also discuss examples illustrating the potential utility of our results for a wide range of interesting situations.

An Oscillatory Neural Network Based Local Processing Unit for Pattern Recognition Applications

Prolific growth of sensors and sensor technology has resulted various applications in sensing, monitoring, assessment and control operations. Owing to the large number of sensing units the the aggregate data volume creates a burden to the central data processing unit. This paper demonstrates an analog computational platform using weakly coupled oscillator neural network for pattern recognition applications. The oscillator neural network (ONN) has been studied over the last couple of decades for it’s increasing computational efficiency. The coupled ONN can realize the classification and pattern recognition functionalities based on its synchronization phenomenon. The convergence time and frequency of synchronization are considered as the indicator of recognition. For hierarchical sensing, the synchronization is detected in the first layer, and then the classification is accomplished in the second layer. In this work, a Kuramoto model based frequency synchronization approach is utilized, and simulation results indicate less than 160 ms convergence time and close frequency match for a simplified pattern recognition application. An array of 10 sensors is considered to affect the coupling weights of the oscillating nodes, and demonstrate network level computation. Based on MATLAB simulations, the proposed ONN architecture can successfully detect the close-in-match pattern through synchronization, and differentiate the far-out-match pattern through loss of synchronization in the oscillating nodes.

Recurrent synchronization of coupled oscillators with spontaneous phase reformation

Self-organizing and spontaneous breaking are seemingly opposite phenomena and hardly captured in a single model. We develop a second order Kuramoto model with phase-induced damping which shows phase locking together with spontaneous synchrony breaking and reformation. In a relatively large regime where the interacting force and the damping ratio are of the same order, the dynamics of the oscillators alternates in an irregular cycle of synchronization, formation-breaking, and reorganization. While the oscillators keep coming back to phase-locked states, their phase distribution repeatedly reforms. Also, the interevent time between bursty deviation from the synchronization states follows a power-law distribution, which implies that the synchronized states are maintained near a tipping point.

Resonances and multistability in a Josephson junction connected to a resonator

We study the dynamics of a Josephson junction connected to a dc current supply via a distributed parameter capacitor, which serves as a resonator. We reveal multistability in the current-voltage characteristic of the system; this multistability is related to resonances between the generated frequency and the resonator. The resonant pattern requires detailed consideration, in particular, because its basic features may resemble those of patterns reported in experiments with arrays of Josephson junctions demonstrating coherent stimulated emission. From the viewpoint of nonlinear dynamics, the resonances between a Josephson junction and a resonator are of interest because of the specificity of the former; its oscillation frequency is directly governed by control parameters of the system and can vary in a wide range. Our analytical results are in good agreement with the results of numerical simulations.

Synchronization of coupled active rotators by common noise

We study the effect of common noise on coupled active rotators. While such a noise always facilitates synchrony, coupling may be attractive (synchronizing) or repulsive (desynchronizing). We develop an analytical approach based on a transformation to approximate angle-action variables and averaging over fast rotations. For identical rotators, we describe a transition from full to partial synchrony at a critical value of repulsive coupling. For nonidentical rotators, the most nontrivial effect occurs at moderate repulsive coupling, where a juxtaposition of phase locking with frequency repulsion (anti-entrainment) is observed. We show that the frequency repulsion obeys a nontrivial power law.

Coherent oscillations of driven rf SQUID metamaterials

Through experiments and numerical simulations we explore the behavior of rf SQUID (radio frequency superconducting quantum interference device) metamaterials, which show extreme tunability and nonlinearity. The emergent electromagnetic properties of this metamaterial are sensitive to the degree of coherent response of the driven interacting SQUIDs. Coherence suffers in the presence of disorder, which is experimentally found to be mainly due to a dc flux gradient. We demonstrate methods to recover the coherence, specifically by varying the coupling between the SQUID meta-atoms and increasing the temperature or the amplitude of the applied rf flux.

Collective dynamics of identical phase oscillators with high-order coupling

In this paper, we propose a framework to investigate the collective dynamics in ensembles of globally coupled phase oscillators when higher-order modes dominate the coupling. The spatiotemporal properties of the attractors in various regions of parameter space are analyzed. Furthermore, a detailed linear stability analysis proves that the stationary symmetric distribution is only neutrally stable in the marginal regime which stems from the generalized time-reversal symmetry. Moreover, the critical parameters of the transition among various regimes are determined analytically by both the Ott-Antonsen method and linear stability analysis, the transient dynamics are further revealed in terms of the characteristic curves method. Finally, for the more general initial condition the symmetric dynamics could be reduced to a rigorous three-dimensional manifold which shows that the neutrally stable chaos could also occur in this model for particular parameters. Our theoretical analysis and numerical results are consistent with each other, which can help us understand the dynamical properties in general systems with higher-order harmonics couplings.

Order parameter analysis for low-dimensional behaviors of coupled phase-oscillators

Coupled phase-oscillators are important models related to synchronization. Recently, Ott-Antonsen(OA) ansatz is developed and used to get low-dimensional collective behaviors in coupled oscillator systems. In this paper, we develop a simple and concise approach based on equations of order parameters, namely, order parameter analysis, with which we point out that OA ansatz is rooted in the dynamical symmetry of order parameters. With our approach the scope of OA ansatz is identified as two conditions, i.e., the limit of infinitely many oscillators and only three nonzero Fourier coefficients of the coupling function. Coinciding with each of the conditions, a distinctive system out of the scope is taken into account and discussed with the order parameter analysis. Two approximation methods are introduced respectively, namely the expectation assumption and the dominating-term assumption.

Dynamics of a population of oscillatory and excitable elements

We analyze a variant of a model proposed by Kuramoto, Shinomoto, and Sakaguchi for a large population of coupled oscillatory and excitable elements. Using the Ott-Antonsen ansatz, we reduce the behavior of the population to a two-dimensional dynamical system with three parameters. We present the stability diagram and calculate several of its bifurcation curves analytically, for both excitatory and inhibitory coupling. Our main result is that when the coupling function is broad, the system can display bistability between steady states of constant high and low activity, whereas when the coupling function is narrow and inhibitory, one of the states in the bistable regime can show persistent pulsations in activity.

Dynamical transitions in large systems of mean field-coupled Landau-Stuart oscillators: Extensive chaos and cluster states

In this paper, we study dynamical systems in which a large number N of identical Landau-Stuart oscillators are globally coupled via a mean-field. Previously, it has been observed that this type of system can exhibit a variety of different dynamical behaviors. These behaviors include time periodic cluster states in which each oscillator is in one of a small number of groups for which all oscillators in each group have the same state which is different from group to group, as well as a behavior in which all oscillators have different states and the macroscopic dynamics of the mean field is chaotic. We argue that this second type of behavior is "extensive" in the sense that the chaotic attractor in the full phase space of the system has a fractal dimension that scales linearly with N and that the number of positive Lyapunov exponents of the attractor also scales linearly with N. An important focus of this paper is the transition between cluster states and extensive chaos as the system is subjected to slow adiabatic parameter change. We observe discontinuous transitions between the cluster states (which correspond to low dimensional dynamics) and the extensively chaotic states. Furthermore, examining the cluster state, as the system approaches the discontinuous transition to extensive chaos, we find that the oscillator population distribution between the clusters continually evolves so that the cluster state is always marginally stable. This behavior is used to reveal the mechanism of the discontinuous transition. We also apply the Kaplan-Yorke formula to study the fractal structure of the extensively chaotic attractors.

Explosive or Continuous: Incoherent state determines the route to synchronization

Abrupt and continuous spontaneous emergence of collective synchronization of coupled oscillators have attracted much attention. In this paper, we propose a dynamical ensemble order parameter equation that enables us to grasp the essential low-dimensional dynamical mechanism of synchronization in networks of coupled oscillators. Different solutions of the dynamical ensemble order parameter equation build correspondences with diverse collective states, and different bifurcations reveal various transitions among these collective states. The structural relationship between the incoherent state and the synchronous state leads to different routes of transitions to synchronization, either continuous or discontinuous. The explosive synchronization is determined by the bistable state where the measure of each state and the critical points are obtained analytically by using the dynamical ensemble order parameter equation. Our method and results hold for heterogeneous networks with star graph motifs such as scale-free networks, and hence, provide an effective approach in understanding the routes to synchronization in more general complex networks.

Derivation of a neural field model from a network of theta neurons

Neural field models are used to study macroscopic spatiotemporal patterns in the cortex. Their derivation from networks of model neurons normally involves a number of assumptions, which may not be correct. Here we present an exact derivation of a neural field model from an infinite network of theta neurons, the canonical form of a type I neuron. We demonstrate the existence of a "bump" solution in both a discrete network of neurons and in the corresponding neural field model.

Periodic synchronization and chimera in conformist and contrarian oscillators

We consider a system of phase oscillators that couple with both attractive and repulsive interaction under a pinning force and explore collective behavior of the system. The oscillators can be divided into two subpopulations of "conformist" oscillators with attractive interaction and "contrarian" ones with repulsive interaction. We find that the interplay between the pinning force and the opposite relationship of the conformist and contrarian oscillators induce peculiar dynamic states: periodic synchronization, breathing chimera, and fully pinned state depending on the fraction of the conformists. Using the Watanabe-Strogatz transformation, we reduce the dynamics into a low-dimensional one and find that the above dynamic states are generated from the reduced dynamics.

Control of collective network chaos

Under certain conditions, the collective behavior of a large globally-coupled heterogeneous network of coupled oscillators, as quantified by the macroscopic mean field or order parameter, can exhibit low-dimensional chaotic behavior. Recent advances describe how a small set of "reduced" ordinary differential equations can be derived that captures this mean field behavior. Here, we show that chaos control algorithms designed using the reduced equations can be successfully applied to imperfect realizations of the full network. To systematically study the effectiveness of this technique, we measure the quality of control as we relax conditions that are required for the strict accuracy of the reduced equations, and hence, the controller. Although the effects are network-dependent, we show that the method is effective for surprisingly small networks, for modest departures from global coupling, and even with mild inaccuracy in the estimate of network heterogeneity.

Classification of attractors for systems of identical coupled Kuramoto oscillators

We present a complete classification of attractors for networks of coupled identical Kuramoto oscillators. In such networks, each oscillator is driven by the same first-order trigonometric function, with coefficients given by symmetric functions of the entire oscillator ensemble. For [Formula: see text] oscillators, there are four possible types of attractors: completely synchronized fixed points or limit cycles, and fixed points or limit cycles where all but one of the oscillators are synchronized. The case N = 3 is exceptional; systems of three identical Kuramoto oscillators can also posses attracting fixed points or limit cycles with all three oscillators out of sync, as well as chaotic attractors. Our results rely heavily on the invariance of the flow for such systems under the action of the three-dimensional group of Möbius transformations, which preserve the unit disc, and the analysis of the possible limiting configurations for this group action.

Complete classification of the macroscopic behavior of a heterogeneous network of theta neurons

We design and analyze the dynamics of a large network of theta neurons, which are idealized type I neurons. The network is heterogeneous in that it includes both inherently spiking and excitable neurons. The coupling is global, via pulselike synapses of adjustable sharpness. Using recently developed analytical methods, we identify all possible asymptotic states that can be exhibited by a mean field variable that captures the network's macroscopic state. These consist of two equilibrium states that reflect partial synchronization in the network and a limit cycle state in which the degree of network synchronization oscillates in time. Our approach also permits a complete bifurcation analysis, which we carry out with respect to parameters that capture the degree of excitability of the neurons, the heterogeneity in the population, and the coupling strength (which can be excitatory or inhibitory). We find that the network typically tends toward the two macroscopic equilibrium states when the neuron's intrinsic dynamics and the network interactions reinforce one another. In contrast, the limit cycle state, bifurcations, and multistability tend to occur when there is competition among these network features. Finally, we show that our results are exhibited by finite network realizations of reasonable size.

Dynamics in hybrid complex systems of switches and oscillators

While considerable progress has been made in the analysis of large systems containing a single type of coupled dynamical component (e.g., coupled oscillators or coupled switches), systems containing diverse components (e.g., both oscillators and switches) have received much less attention. We analyze large, hybrid systems of interconnected Kuramoto oscillators and Hopfield switches with positive feedback. In this system, oscillator synchronization promotes switches to turn on. In turn, when switches turn on, they enhance the synchrony of the oscillators to which they are coupled. Depending on the choice of parameters, we find theoretically coexisting stable solutions with either (i) incoherent oscillators and all switches permanently off, (ii) synchronized oscillators and all switches permanently on, or (iii) synchronized oscillators and switches that periodically alternate between the on and off states. Numerical experiments confirm these predictions. We discuss how transitions between these steady state solutions can be onset deterministically through dynamic bifurcations or spontaneously due to finite-size fluctuations.

Stable and flexible system for glucose homeostasis

Pancreatic islets, controlling glucose homeostasis, consist of α, β, and δ cells. It has been observed that α and β cells generate out-of-phase synchronization in the release of glucagon and insulin, counter-regulatory hormones for increasing and decreasing glucose levels, while β and δ cells produce in-phase synchronization in the release of the insulin and somatostatin. Pieces of interactions between the islet cells have been observed for a long time, although their physiological role as a whole has not been explored yet. We model the synchronized hormone pulses of islets with coupled phase oscillators that incorporate the observed cellular interactions. The integrated model shows that the interaction from β to δ cells, of which sign is a subject of controversy, should be positive to reproduce the in-phase synchronization between β and δ cells. The model also suggests that δ cells help the islet system flexibly respond to changes of glucose environment.

Phase and amplitude dynamics in large systems of coupled oscillators: growth heterogeneity, nonlinear frequency shifts, and cluster states

This paper addresses the behavior of large systems of heterogeneous, globally coupled oscillators each of which is described by the generic Landau-Stuart equation, which incorporates both phase and amplitude dynamics of individual oscillators. One goal of our paper is to investigate the effect of a spread in the amplitude growth parameter of the oscillators and of the effect of a homogeneous nonlinear frequency shift. Both of these effects are of potential relevance to recently reported experiments. Our second goal is to gain further understanding of the macroscopic system dynamics at large coupling strength, and its dependence on the nonlinear frequency shift parameter. It is proven that at large coupling strength, if the nonlinear frequency shift parameter is below a certain value, then there is a unique attractor for which the oscillators all clump at a single amplitude and uniformly rotating phase (we call this a single-cluster "locked state"). Using a combination of analytical and numerical methods, we show that at higher values of the nonlinear frequency shift parameter, the single-cluster locked state attractor continues to exist, but other types of coexisting attractors emerge. These include two-cluster locked states, periodic orbits, chaotic orbits, and quasiperiodic orbits.

Disorder-induced dynamics in a pair of coupled heterogeneous phase oscillator networks

We consider a pair of coupled heterogeneous phase oscillator networks and investigate their dynamics in the continuum limit as the intrinsic frequencies of the oscillators are made more and more disparate. The Ott/Antonsen Ansatz is used to reduce the system to three ordinary differential equations. We find that most of the interesting dynamics, such as chaotic behaviour, can be understood by analysing a gluing bifurcation of periodic orbits; these orbits can be thought of as "breathing chimeras" in the limit of identical oscillators. We also add Gaussian white noise to the oscillators' dynamics and derive a pair of coupled Fokker-Planck equations describing the dynamics in this case. Comparison with simulations of finite networks of oscillators is used to confirm many of the results.

Möbius transformations and electronic transport properties of large disorderless networks

We show that the key transport states, insulating and conducting, of large regular networks of scatterers can be described generically by negative and zero Lyapunov exponents, respectively, of Möbius maps that relate the scattering matrix of systems with successive sizes. The conductive phase is represented by weakly chaotic attractors that have been linked with anomalous transport and ergodicity breaking. Our conclusions, verified for serial as well as parallel stub and ring structures, reveal that mesoscopic behavior results from a drastic reduction of degrees of freedom.

Hierarchical synchrony of phase oscillators in modular networks

We study synchronization of sinusoidally coupled phase oscillators on networks with modular structure and a large number of oscillators in each community. Of particular interest is the hierarchy of local and global synchrony, i.e., synchrony within and between communities, respectively. Using the recent ansatz of Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)], we find that the degree of local synchrony can be determined from a set of coupled low-dimensional equations. If the number of communities in the network is large, a low-dimensional description of global synchrony can be also found. Using these results, we study bifurcations between different types of synchrony. We find that, depending on the relative strength of local and global coupling, the transition to synchrony in the network can be mediated by local or global effects.

Conformists and contrarians in a Kuramoto model with identical natural frequencies

We consider a variant of the Kuramoto model in which all the oscillators are now assumed to have the same natural frequency, but some of them are negatively coupled to the mean field. These contrarian oscillators tend to align in antiphase with the mean field, whereas, the positively coupled conformist oscillators favor an in-phase relationship. The interplay between these effects can lead to rich dynamics. In addition to a splitting of the population into two diametrically opposed factions, the system can also display traveling waves, complete incoherence, and a blurred version of the two-faction state. Exact solutions for these states and their bifurcations are obtained by means of the Watanabe-Strogatz transformation and the Ott-Antonsen ansatz. Curiously, this system of oscillators with identical frequencies turns out to exhibit more complicated dynamics than its counterpart with heterogeneous natural frequencies.

Cluster synchrony in systems of coupled phase oscillators with higher-order coupling

We study the phenomenon of cluster synchrony that occurs in ensembles of coupled phase oscillators when higher-order modes dominate the coupling between oscillators. For the first time, we develop a complete analytic description of the dynamics in the limit of a large number of oscillators and use it to quantify the degree of cluster synchrony, cluster asymmetry, and switching. We use a variation of the recent dimensionality-reduction technique of Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)] and find an analytic description of the degree of cluster synchrony valid on a globally attracting manifold. Shaped by this manifold, there is an infinite family of steady-state distributions of oscillators, resulting in a high degree of multistability in the cluster asymmetry. We also show how through external forcing the degree of asymmetry can be controlled, and suggest that systems displaying cluster synchrony can be used to encode and store data.

Generating macroscopic chaos in a network of globally coupled phase oscillators

We consider an infinite network of globally coupled phase oscillators in which the natural frequencies of the oscillators are drawn from a symmetric bimodal distribution. We demonstrate that macroscopic chaos can occur in this system when the coupling strength varies periodically in time. We identify period-doubling cascades to chaos, attractor crises, and horseshoe dynamics for the macroscopic mean field. Based on recent work that clarified the bifurcation structure of the static bimodal Kuramoto system, we qualitatively describe the mechanism for the generation of such complicated behavior in the time varying case.

Dynamics and pattern formation in large systems of spatially-coupled oscillators with finite response times

We consider systems of many spatially distributed phase oscillators that interact with their neighbors. Each oscillator is allowed to have a different natural frequency, as well as a different response time to the signals it receives from other oscillators in its neighborhood. Using the ansatz of Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)] and adopting a strategy similar to that employed in the recent work of Laing [Physica D 238, 1569 (2009)], we reduce the microscopic dynamics of these systems to a macroscopic partial-differential-equation description. Using this macroscopic formulation, we numerically find that finite oscillator response time leads to interesting spatiotemporal dynamical behaviors including propagating fronts, spots, target patterns, chimerae, spiral waves, etc., and we study interactions and evolutionary behaviors of these spatiotemporal patterns.

Comment on "Long time evolution of phase oscillator systems" [Chaos 19, 023117 (2009)]

In a recent paper by Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 19, 023117 (2009)], it was shown for the case of Lorentzian distributions of oscillator frequencies that the dynamics of a very general class of large systems of coupled phase oscillators time-asymptotes to a particular simplified form given by Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)]. This comment extends this previous result to a broad class of oscillator distribution functions.

The dynamics of network coupled phase oscillators: an ensemble approach

We consider the dynamics of many phase oscillators that interact through a coupling network. For a given network connectivity we further consider an ensemble of such systems where, for each ensemble member, the set of oscillator natural frequencies is independently and randomly chosen according to a given distribution function. We then seek a statistical description of the dynamics of this ensemble. Use of this approach allows us to apply the recently developed ansatz of Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)] to the marginal distribution of the ensemble of states at each node. This, in turn, results in a reduced set of ordinary differential equations determining these marginal distribution functions. The new set facilitates the analysis of network dynamics in several ways: (i) the time evolution of the reduced system of ensemble equations is much smoother, and thus numerical solutions can be obtained much faster by use of longer time steps; (ii) the new set of equations can be used as a basis for obtaining analytical results; and (iii) for a certain type of network, a reduction to a low dimensional description of the entire network dynamics is possible. We illustrate our approach with numerical experiments on a network version of the classical Kuramoto problem, first with a unimodal frequency distribution, and then with a bimodal distribution. In the latter case, the network dynamics is characterized by bifurcations and hysteresis involving a variety of steady and periodic attractors.

Kuramoto model of coupled oscillators with positive and negative coupling parameters: an example of conformist and contrarian oscillators

We consider a generalization of the Kuramoto model in which the oscillators are coupled to the mean field with random signs. Oscillators with positive coupling are "conformists"; they are attracted to the mean field and tend to synchronize with it. Oscillators with negative coupling are "contrarians"; they are repelled by the mean field and prefer a phase diametrically opposed to it. The model is simple and exactly solvable, yet some of its behavior is surprising. Along with the stationary states one might have expected (a desynchronized state, and a partially-synchronized state, with conformists and contrarians locked in antiphase), it also displays a traveling wave, in which the mean field oscillates at a frequency different from the population's mean natural frequency.

Chimeras in a network of three oscillator populations with varying network topology

We study a network of three populations of coupled phase oscillators with identical frequencies. The populations interact nonlocally, in the sense that all oscillators are coupled to one another, but more weakly to those in neighboring populations than to those in their own population. Using this system as a model system, we discuss for the first time the influence of network topology on the existence of so-called chimera states. In this context, the network with three populations represents an interesting case because the populations may either be connected as a triangle, or as a chain, thereby representing the simplest discrete network of either a ring or a line segment of oscillator populations. We introduce a special parameter that allows us to study the effect of breaking the triangular network structure, and to vary the network symmetry continuously such that it becomes more and more chain-like. By showing that chimera states only exist for a bounded set of parameter values, we demonstrate that their existence depends strongly on the underlying network structures, and conclude that chimeras exist on networks with a chain-like character.

Phase synchronization between collective rhythms of globally coupled oscillator groups: noiseless nonidentical case

We theoretically study the synchronization between collective oscillations exhibited by two weakly interacting groups of nonidentical phase oscillators with internal and external global sinusoidal couplings of the groups. Coupled amplitude equations describing the collective oscillations of the oscillator groups are obtained by using the Ott-Antonsen ansatz, and then coupled phase equations for the collective oscillations are derived by phase reduction of the amplitude equations. The collective phase coupling function, which determines the dynamics of macroscopic phase differences between the groups, is calculated analytically. We demonstrate that the groups can exhibit effective antiphase collective synchronization even if the microscopic external coupling between individual oscillator pairs belonging to different groups is in-phase, and similarly effective in-phase collective synchronization in spite of microscopic antiphase external coupling between the groups.

Bistable chimera attractors on a triangular network of oscillator populations

We study a triangular network of three populations of coupled phase oscillators with identical frequencies. The populations interact nonlocally, in the sense that all oscillators are coupled to one another, but more weakly to those in neighboring populations than to those in their own population. This triangular network is the simplest discretization of a continuous ring of oscillators. Yet it displays an unexpectedly different behavior: in contrast to the lone stable chimera observed in continuous rings of oscillators, we find that this system exhibits two coexisting stable chimeras. Both chimeras are, as usual, born through a saddle-node bifurcation. As the coupling becomes increasingly local in nature they lose stability through a Hopf bifurcation, giving rise to breathing chimeras, which in turn get destroyed through a homoclinic bifurcation. Remarkably, one of the chimeras reemerges by a reversal of this scenario as we further increase the locality of the coupling, until it is annihilated through another saddle-node bifurcation.

Identical phase oscillators with global sinusoidal coupling evolve by Mobius group action

Systems of N identical phase oscillators with global sinusoidal coupling are known to display low-dimensional dynamics. Although this phenomenon was first observed about 20 years ago, its underlying cause has remained a puzzle. Here we expose the structure working behind the scenes of these systems by proving that the governing equations are generated by the action of the Mobius group, a three-parameter subgroup of fractional linear transformations that map the unit disk to itself. When there are no auxiliary state variables, the group action partitions the N-dimensional state space into three-dimensional invariant manifolds (the group orbits). The N-3 constants of motion associated with this foliation are the N-3 functionally independent cross ratios of the oscillator phases. No further reduction is possible, in general; numerical experiments on models of Josephson junction arrays suggest that the invariant manifolds often contain three-dimensional regions of neutrally stable chaos.

Long time evolution of phase oscillator systems

It is shown, under weak conditions, that the dynamical evolution of large systems of globally coupled phase oscillators with Lorentzian distributed oscillation frequencies is, in an appropriate physical sense, time-asymptotically attracted toward a reduced manifold of the system states. This manifold was previously known and used to facilitate the discovery of attractors and bifurcations of such systems. The result of this paper establishes that attractors for the order parameter dynamics obtained by restriction to this reduced manifold are, in fact, the only such attractors of the full system. Thus all long time dynamical behaviors of the order parameters of these systems can be obtained by restriction to the reduced manifold.