Discrete breathers in a forced-damped array of coupled pendula: Modeling, Computation and Experiment

TL;DR

This paper investigates discrete breathers in a forced-damped array of coupled pendula, demonstrating stability reversal, enhanced mobility, and exotic modes through modeling, computation, and experimental validation.

Contribution

It provides an experimental realization of stability reversal and mobility enhancement of discrete breathers in a mechanical system, supported by detailed numerical analysis.

Findings

Stability reversal between on-site and inter-site modes

Enhanced mobility near the reversal point

Observation of dark breathers

Abstract

In this work, we present a mechanical example of an experimental realization of a stability reversal between on-site and inter-site centered localized modes. A corresponding realization of a vanishing of the Peierls-Nabarro barrier allows for an experimentally observed enhanced mobility of the localized modes near the reversal point. These features are supported by detailed numerical computations of the stability and mobility of the discrete breathers in this system of forced and damped coupled pendula. Furthermore, additional exotic features of the relevant model, such as dark breathers are briefly discussed.