Coexistence of synchrony and incoherence in oscillatory media under nonlinear global coupling.
We report a novel mechanism for the formation of chimera states, a peculiar spatiotemporal pattern with coexisting synchronized and incoherent domains found in ensembles of identical oscillators. Considering Stuart-Landau oscillators, we demonstrate that a nonlinear global coupling can induce this symmetry breaking. We find chimera states also in a spatially extended system, a modified complex Ginzburg-Landau equation. This theoretical prediction is validated with an oscillatory electrochemical system, the electro-oxidation of silicon, where the spontaneous formation of chimeras is observed without any external feedback control.
Physik-Department, Nonequilibrium Chemical Physics, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
Lennart
L
Schmidt
Physik-Department, Nonequilibrium Chemical Physics, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
Konrad
K
Schönleber
Physik-Department, Nonequilibrium Chemical Physics, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
Katharina
K
Krischer
Physik-Department, Nonequilibrium Chemical Physics, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
Vladimir
V
García-Morales
D001683:Biological Clocks; D008954:Models, Biological