Oscillation collapse in coupled quantum van der Pol oscillators

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum van der Pol oscillators experience oscillation collapse due to mutual coupling, revealing quantum effects on collective dynamics and synchronization.

Contribution

It demonstrates quantum oscillation collapse in coupled quantum van der Pol oscillators and analyzes the transition from synchronization to collapse using mean-field theory and quantum simulations.

Findings

Quantum oscillators have lower steady-state phonon numbers than classical models.

Coupled oscillators undergo a transition from synchronization to collapse.

Increasing the number of oscillators lowers the steady-state phonon number, bounded by mean-field results.

Abstract

The classical self-oscillations can collapse merely due to their mutual couplings. We investigate this oscillation collapse in quantum van der Pol oscillators. For a pair of quantum oscillators, the steady-state mean phonon number is shown to be lower than in the corresponding classical model with a Gaussian white noise that mimics quantum noise. We further show within the mean-field theory that a number of globally coupled oscillators undergo a transition from the synchronized periodic motion to the collective oscillation collapse. A quantum many-body simulation suggests that the increase in the number of oscillators leads to a lower steady-state mean phonon number, bounded below by the mean-field result.