Synchronization of oscillators through time-shifted common inputs

TL;DR

This paper investigates how stochastic time-shifted common inputs affect synchronization in coupled limit-cycle oscillators, revealing an optimal intermediate time shift that maximizes synchronization due to a resonance effect.

Contribution

It demonstrates that time shifts in common inputs can alter phase difference distributions and identifies an optimal shift for synchronization in coupled oscillators.

Findings

Maximum synchronization occurs at an intermediate time shift.

Time shifts change the phase difference distribution, not just shift it.

Resonance-like effect determines the optimal time shift.

Abstract

Shared upstream dynamical processes are frequently the source of common inputs in various physical and biological systems. However, due to finite signal transmission speeds and differences in the distance to the source, time shifts between otherwise common inputs are unavoidable. Since common inputs can be a source of correlation between the elements of multi-unit dynamical systems, regardless of whether these elements are directly connected with one another or not, it is of importance to understand their impact on synchronization. As a canonical model that is representative for a variety of different dynamical systems, we study limit-cycle oscillators that are driven by stochastic time-shifted common inputs. We show that if the oscillators are coupled, time shifts in stochastic common inputs do not simply shift the distribution of the phase differences, but rather the distribution actually changes as a result. The best synchronization is therefore achieved at a precise intermediate value of the time shift, which is due to a resonance-like effect with the most probable phase difference that is determined by the deterministic dynamics.