Phase synchronization in unidirectionally coupled Ikeda time-delay systems

Phase synchronization in unidirectionally coupled Ikeda time-delay systems exhibiting non-phase-coherent hyperchaotic attractors of complex topology with highly interwoven trajectories is studied. It is shown that in this set of coupled systems phase synchronization (PS)does exist in a range of the coupling strength which is preceded by a transition regime (approximate PS)and a nonsynchronous regime. However, exact generalized synchronization does not seem to occur in the coupled Ikeda systems (for the range of parameters we have studied)even for large coupling strength, in contrast to our earlier studies in coupled piecewise-linear and Mackey-Glass systems [27,28]. The above transitions are characterized in terms of recurrence based indices, namely generalized autocorrelation function P(t), correlation of probability of recurrence (CPR), joint probability of recurrence (JPR)and similarity of probability of recurrence (SPR). The existence of phase synchronization is also further confirmed by typical transitions in the Lyapunov exponents of the coupled Ikeda time-delay systems and also using the concept of localized sets.     

Dynamics between order and chaos revisited

We show that dynamics between order and chaos, namely strange nonchaotic dynamics can be efficiently studied by means of recurrence properties. Different transitions to this dynamics in coupled R?ssler oscillators are revealed by some measures of complexity based on the recurrence time, which is the time needed for a system to recur to a former visited neighborhood. Furthermore, regions of the parameter space where the system is in non-phase, imperfect-phase or phase synchronization are depicted by means of recurrence based indices such as the generalized autocorrelation function and the correlation of probability of recurrence.     

Three types of transitions to phase synchronization in coupled chaotic oscillators

We study the effect of noncoherence on the onset of phase synchronization of two coupled chaotic oscillators. Depending on the coherence properties of oscillations characterized by the phase diffusion, three types of transitions to phase synchronization are found. For phase-coherent attractors this transition occurs shortly after one of the zero Lyapunov exponents becomes negative. At rather strong phase diffusion, phase locking manifests a strong degree of generalized synchronization, and occurs only after one positive Lyapunov exponent becomes negative. For intermediate phase diffusion, phase synchronization sets in via an interior crises of the hyperchaotic set.     

The effect of time-delay on anomalous phase synchronization

Anomalous phase synchronization in nonidentical interacting oscillators is manifest as the increase of frequency disorder prior to synchronization. We show that this effect can be enhanced when a time-delay is included in the coupling. In systems of limit-cycle and chaotic oscillators we find that the regions of phase disorder and phase synchronization can be interwoven in the parameter space such that as a function of coupling or time-delay the system shows transitions from phase ordering to disorder and back.     

Synchronization transitions in coupled time-delay electronic circuits with a threshold nonlinearity

Experimental observations of typical kinds of synchronization transitions are reported in unidirectionally coupled time-delay electronic circuits with a threshold nonlinearity and two time delays, namely feedback delay τ(1) and coupling delay τ(2). We have observed transitions from anticipatory to lag via complete synchronization and their inverse counterparts with excitatory and inhibitory couplings, respectively, as a function of the coupling delay τ(2). The anticipating and lag times depend on the difference between the feedback and the coupling delays. A single stability condition for all the different types of synchronization is found to be valid as the stability condition is independent of both the delays. Further, the existence of different kinds of synchronizations observed experimentally is corroborated by numerical simulations and from the changes in the Lyapunov exponents of the coupled time-delay systems.     

Synchronization of self-sustained oscillators inertially coupled through common damped system

We study the dynamics of two self-oscillating systems inertially coupled to a linear oscillator. This interaction mechanism results in various types of synchronous motions such as in-phase, anti-phase and phase synchronization. We demonstrate the existence of mono-stable regimes and multi-stable behavior with two or more coexisting attractors. We present the bifurcational analysis revealing transition mechanisms between these regimes. In the multi-stable case, we examine the role of coupling parameter and shape of oscillations (the parameter indicating nonlinearity and strength of the damping) in various structure formations of attraction basins.     

Detecting phase synchronization between coupled non-phase-coherent oscillators

We compare two methods for detecting phase synchronization in coupled non-phase-coherent oscillators. One method is based on the locking of self-sustained oscillators with an irregular signal. The other uses trajectory recurrences in phase space. We identify the pros and cons of both methods and propose guidelines to detect phase synchronization in data series.     

Dynamical hysteresis and spatial synchronization in coupled non-identical chaotic oscillators

We identify a novel phenomenon in distinct (namely non-identical) coupled chaotic systems, which we term dynamical hysteresis. This behavior, which appears to be universal, is defined in terms of the system dynamics (quantified for example through the Lyapunov exponents), and arises from the presence of at least two coexisting stable attractors over a finite range of coupling, with a change of stability outside this range. Further characterization via mutual synchronization indices reveals that one attractor corresponds to spatially synchronized oscillators, while the other corresponds to desynchronized oscillators. Dynamical hysteresis may thus help to understand critical aspects of the dynamical behavior of complex biological systems, e.g. seizures in the epileptic brain can be viewed as transitions between different dynamical phases caused by time dependence in the brain’s internal coupling.     

Analysis of phase synchronization of chaotic oscillations in terms of symbolic CTQ-analysis

The application of symbolic CTQ-analysis for studying synchronization of chaotic oscillations is considered. This approach differs substantially from its analogs since it makes it possible to diagnose and measure quantitatively the characteristics of intermittency regimes in synchronization of chaotic systems and, hence, to analyzer the temporal structure of synchronization. The application of the symbolic analysis apparatus based on the T alphabet to systems with phase locking and synchronization of time scales is demonstrated for the first time. As an example, a complex system of two mutually coupled nonidentical Rössler oscillators in the helical chaos regime with attractors having an ill-conditioned phase is considered. The results show that the method considered here makes it possible to reliably diagnose synchronism sooner than a phase locking and/or time-scale synchronization threshold is detected.     

Scaling laws for invariant measures on hyperbolic and nonhyperbolic atractors

The analysis of dynamical systems in terms of spectra of singularities is extended to higher dimensions and to nonhyperbolic systems. Prominent roles in our approach are played by the generalized partial dimensions of the invariant measure and by the distribution of effective Liapunov exponents. For hyperbolic attractors, the latter determines the metric entropies and provides one constraint on the partial dimensions. For nonhyperbolic attractors, there are important modifications. We discuss them for the examples of the logistic and Hénon map. We show, in particular, that the generalized dimensions have singularities with noncontinuous derivative, similar to first-order phase transitions in statistical mechanics.     

Phase-flip transition in nonlinear oscillators coupled by dynamic environment

We study the dynamics of nonlinear oscillators indirectly coupled through a dynamical environment or a common medium. We observed that this form of indirect coupling leads to synchronization and phase-flip transition in periodic as well as chaotic regime of oscillators. The phase-flip transition from in- to anti-phase synchronization or vise-versa is analyzed in the parameter plane with examples of Landau-Stuart and Ro?ssler oscillators. The dynamical transitions are characterized using various indices such as average phase difference, frequency, and Lyapunov exponents. Experimental evidence of the phase-flip transition is shown using an electronic version of the van der Pol oscillators.     

Phase synchronization and its transition in two coupled bursting neurons: theoretical and numerical analysis

It is crucially important to study different synchronous regimes in coupled neurons because different regimes may correspond to different cognitive and pathological states. In this paper, phase synchronization and its transitions are discussed by means of theoretical and numerical analyses. In two coupled modified Morris--Lecar neurons with a gap junction, we show that the occurrence of phase synchronization can be investigated from the dynamics of phase equation, and the analytical synchronization condition is derived. By defining the phase of spike and burst, the transitions from burst synchronization to spike synchronization and then toward nearly complete synchronization can be identified by bifurcation diagrams, the mean frequency difference and time series of neurons. The simulation results suggest that the synchronization of bursting activity is a multi-time-scale phenomenon and the phase synchronization deduced by the phase equation is actually spike synchronization.     

Synchronization transition in gap-junction-coupled leech neurons

Real neurons can exhibit various types of firings including tonic spiking, bursting as well as silent state, which are frequently observed in neuronal electrophysiological experiments. More interestingly, it is found that neurons can demonstrate the co-existing mode of stable tonic spiking and bursting, which depends on initial conditions. In this paper, synchronization in gap-junction-coupled neurons with co-existing attractors of spiking and bursting firings is investigated as the coupling strength gets increased. Synchronization transitions can be identified by means of the bifurcation diagram and the correlation coefficient. It is illustrated that the coupled neurons can exhibit different types of synchronization transitions between spiking and bursting when the coupling strength increases. In the course of synchronization transitions, an intermittent synchronization can be observed. These results may be instructive to understand synchronization transitions in neuronal systems.     

Delay time modulation induced oscillating synchronization and intermittent anticipatory/lag and complete synchronizations in time-delay nonlinear dynamical systems

Existence of a new type of oscillating synchronization that oscillates between three different types of synchronizations (anticipatory, complete, and lag synchronizations) is identified in unidirectionally coupled nonlinear time-delay systems having two different time-delays, that is feedback delay with a periodic delay time modulation and a constant coupling delay. Intermittent anticipatory, intermittent lag, and complete synchronizations are shown to exist in the same system with identical delay time modulations in both the delays. The transition from anticipatory to complete synchronization and from complete to lag synchronization as a function of coupling delay with suitable stability condition is discussed. The intermittent anticipatory and lag synchronizations are characterized by the minimum of the similarity functions and the intermittent behavior is characterized by a universal asymptotic -32 power law distribution. It is also shown that the delay time carved out of the trajectories of the time-delay system with periodic delay time modulation cannot be estimated using conventional methods, thereby reducing the possibility of decoding the message by phase space reconstruction.     

Synchronization of chaotic systems with coexisting attractors

Synchronization of coupled oscillators exhibiting the coexistence of chaotic attractors is investigated, both numerically and experimentally. The route from the asynchronous motion to a completely synchronized state is characterized by the sequence of type-I and on-off intermittencies, intermittent phase synchronization, anticipated synchronization, and period-doubling phase synchronization.     

Engineering synchronization of chaotic oscillators using controller based coupling design

We propose a general formulation of coupling for engineering synchronization in chaotic oscillators for unidirectional as well as bidirectional mode. In the synchronization regimes, it is possible to amplify or to attenuate a chaotic attractor with respect to other chaotic attractors. Numerical examples are presented for a Lorenz system, Ro?ssler oscillator, and a Sprott system. We physically realized the controller based coupling design in electronic circuits to verify the theory. We extended the theory to a network of coupled oscillators and provided a numerical example with four Sprott oscillators.     

Complicated basins and the phenomenon of amplitude death in coupled hidden attractors

Understanding hidden attractors, whose basins of attraction do not contain the neighborhood of equilibrium of the system, are important in many physical applications. We observe riddled-like complicated basins of coexisting hidden attractors both in coupled and uncoupled systems. Amplitude death is observed in coupled hidden attractors with no fixed point using nonlinear interaction. A new route to amplitude death is observed in time-delay coupled hidden attractors. Numerical results are presented for systems with no or one stable fixed point. The applications are highlighted.     

Multiple attractors and generalized synchronization in delayed Mackey--Glass systems

Nonlinear dynamics of the time-delayed Mackey-Glass systems is explored. Coexistent multiple chaotic attractors are found. Attractors with double-scroll structures can be well classified in terms of different return times within one period of the delay time by constructing the Poincare section. Synchronizations of the drive-response Mackey-Glass oscillators are investigated. The critical coupling strength for the emergence of generalized synchronization against the delay time exhibits the interesting resonant behaviour. We reveal that stronger resonance effect may be observed when different attractors are applied to the drivers, i.e., more resonance peaks can be found.     

Synchronization on coupled dynamical networks

In this paper, partial synchronization (PaS) in networks of coupled chaotic oscillator systems and synchronization in sparsely coupled spatiotemporal systems are explored. For the PaS, we reveal that the existence of PaS patterns depends on the symmetry property of the network topology, while the emergence of the PaS pattern depends crucially on the stability of the corresponding solution. An analytical criterion in judging the stability of PaS state on a given network are proposed in terms of a comparison between the Lyapunov exponent spectrum of the PaS manifold and that of the transversal manifold. The competition and selections of the PaS patterns induced by the presence of multiple topological symmetries of the network are studied in terms of the criterion. The phase diagram in distinguishing the synchronous and the asynchronous states is given. The criterion in judging PaS is further applied to the study of synchronization of two sparsely coupled spatiotemporal chaotic systems. Different synchronization regimes are distinguished. The present study reveals the intrinsic collective bifurcation of coupled dynamical systems prior to the emergence of global synchronization.