Suppression of oscillation using dissimilar oscillators in an ensemble

What is it about?

We have investigated through laboratory experiments, as well as numerical simulations, the behavior of an ensemble of oscillators, coupled diffusively to an external oscillator. The common external system may be similar or dissimilar to the group. We explored all possible scenarios, with the intrinsic dynamics of the external oscillator ranging from regular to chaotic. We find that an external oscillator manages to successfully steer a group of oscillators on to steady states at sufficiently high coupling strengths when it is distinct from the group, rather than identical.

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Why is it important?

Our observations demonstrated the specific examples of the interesting general principle of asymmetry inducing symmetry in coupled dynamical systems. That is, a coupled system constituted of exact replicas often yield irregular spatio-temporal patterns, while markedly different constituents can yield very regular and symmetric spatio-temporal patterns. This dynamical behavior can also be interpreted as an anti-chimera state. This further suggests that diversity or heterogeneity may have a crucial role in aiding regularity in interactive systems.

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