Enhanced response of the regular networks to local signals in presence of a fast impurity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a fast impurity in coupled networks, such as Josephson junctions or neurons, significantly enhances the array's response to local periodic signals, enabling detection of weak signals across the system.

Contribution

It reveals that placing a fast impurity at the signal point boosts the entire network's response, a novel insight into signal detection in coupled systems.

Findings

Enhanced signal detection when the impurity is at the signal point

Minor effects when the signal is imposed elsewhere

Similar results observed in neuronal chain models

Abstract

We consider an array of inductively coupled Josephson junctions with a fast impurity (a junction with a smaller value of critical current), and study the consequences of imposing a small amplitude periodic signal at some point in the array. We find that when external signal is imposed at the impurity, the response of the array is boosted and a small amplitude signal can be detected throughout the array. When the signal is imposed elsewhere, minor effects is seen on the dynamics of the array. The same results have been also seen in presence of a single fast spiking neuron in a chain of diffusively coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons.