Intermittency transition to generalized synchronization in coupled time-delay systems

Synchronizing spatio-temporal chaos with imperfect models: a stochastic surface growth picture

We study the synchronization of two spatially extended dynamical systems where the models have imperfections. We show that the synchronization error across space can be visualized as a rough surface governed by the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation with both upper and lower bounding walls corresponding to nonlinearities and model discrepancies, respectively. Two types of model imperfections are considered: parameter mismatch and unresolved fast scales, finding in both cases the same qualitative results. The consistency between different setups and systems indicates that the results are generic for a wide family of spatially extended systems.

Exact synchronization bound for coupled time-delay systems

We obtain an exact bound for synchronization in coupled time-delay systems using the generalized Halanay inequality for the general case of time-dependent delay, coupling, and coefficients. Furthermore, we show that the same analysis is applicable to both uni- and bidirectionally coupled time-delay systems with an appropriate evolution equation for their synchronization manifold, which can also be defined for different types of synchronization. The exact synchronization bound assures an exponential stabilization of the synchronization manifold which is crucial for applications. The analytical synchronization bound is independent of the nature of the modulation and can be applied to any time-delay system satisfying a Lipschitz condition. The analytical results are corroborated numerically using the Ikeda system.

Design of coupling for synchronization in time-delayed systems

We report a design of delay coupling for targeting desired synchronization in delay dynamical systems. We target synchronization, antisynchronization, lag-and antilag-synchronization, amplitude death (or oscillation death), and generalized synchronization in mismatched oscillators. A scaling of the size of an attractor is made possible in different synchronization regimes. We realize a type of mixed synchronization where synchronization and antisynchronization coexist in different pairs of state variables of the coupled system. We establish the stability condition of synchronization using the Krasovskii-Lyapunov function theory and the Hurwitz matrix criterion. We present numerical examples using the Mackey-Glass system and a delay Rössler system.

Transition to complete synchronization and global intermittent synchronization in an array of time-delay systems

We report the nature of transitions from the nonsynchronous to a complete synchronization (CS) state in arrays of time-delay systems, where the systems are coupled with instantaneous diffusive coupling. We demonstrate that the transition to CS occurs distinctly for different coupling configurations. In particular, for unidirectional coupling, locally (microscopically) synchronization transition occurs in a very narrow range of coupling strength but for a global one (macroscopically) it occurs sequentially in a broad range of coupling strength preceded by an intermittent synchronization. On the other hand, in the case of mutual coupling, a very large value of coupling strength is required for local synchronization and, consequently, all the local subsystems synchronize immediately for the same value of the coupling strength and, hence, globally, synchronization also occurs in a narrow range of the coupling strength. In the transition regime, we observe a type of synchronization transition where long intervals of high-quality synchronization which are interrupted at irregular times by intermittent chaotic bursts simultaneously in all the systems and which we designate as global intermittent synchronization. We also relate our synchronization transition results to the above specific types using unstable periodic orbit theory. The above studies are carried out in a well-known piecewise linear time-delay system.

Chimera and globally clustered chimera: impact of time delay

Following a short report of our preliminary results [Sheeba, Phys. Rev. E 79, 055203(R) (2009)], we present a more detailed study of the effects of coupling delay in diffusively coupled phase oscillator populations. We find that coupling delay induces chimera and globally clustered chimera (GCC) states in delay coupled populations. We show the existence of multiclustered states that act as link between the chimera and the GCC states. A stable GCC state goes through a variety of GCC states, namely, periodic, aperiodic, long- and short-period breathers and becomes unstable GCC leading to global synchronization in the system, on increasing time delay. We provide numerical evidence and theoretical explanations for the above results and discuss possible applications of the observed phenomena.

Stability of synchronization in coupled time-delay systems using Krasovskii-Lyapunov theory

Stability of synchronization in unidirectionally coupled time-delay systems is studied using the Krasovskii-Lyapunov theory. We have shown that the same general stability condition is valid for different cases, even for the general situation (but with a constraint) where all the coefficients of the error equation corresponding to the synchronization manifold are time dependent. These analytical results are also confirmed by the numerical simulation of paradigmatic examples.

Inverse synchronizations in coupled time-delay systems with inhibitory coupling

Transitions between inverse anticipatory, inverse complete, and inverse lag synchronizations are shown to occur as a function of the coupling delay in unidirectionally coupled time-delay systems with inhibitory coupling. We have also shown that the same general asymptotic stability condition obtained using the Krasovskii-Lyapunov functional theory can be valid for the cases where (i) both the coefficients of the Delta(t) (error variable) and Delta(tau)=Delta(t-tau) (error variable with delay) terms in the error equation corresponding to the synchronization manifold are time independent and (ii) the coefficient of the Delta term is time independent, while that of the Delta(tau) term is time dependent. The existence of different kinds of synchronization is corroborated using similarity function, probability of synchronization, and also from changes in the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents of the coupled time-delay systems.

Globally clustered chimera states in delay-coupled populations

We have identified the existence of globally clustered chimera states in delay-coupled oscillator populations and find that these states can breathe periodically and aperiodically and become unstable depending upon the value of coupling delay. We also find that the coupling delay induces frequency suppression in the desynchronized group. We provide numerical evidence and theoretical explanations for the above results and discuss possible applications of the observed phenomena.