Bistability in Two Simple Symmetrically Coupled Oscillators with Symmetry-broken Amplitude- and Phase-Locking

TL;DR

This paper analytically and numerically investigates stable symmetry-broken amplitude- and phase-locking states in a simple system of two coupled Stuart-Landau oscillators, revealing their stability and bifurcation structure.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analytical and numerical description of stable symmetry-broken states in a symmetric oscillator system, including explicit formulas and stability analysis.

Findings

Stable symmetry-broken amplitude- and phase-locking states exist.

These states are analytically shown to be stable.

Bifurcation analysis reveals their origin from in-phase and anti-phase solutions.

Abstract

In the model system of two instantaneously and symmetrically coupled identical Stuart-Landau oscillators we demonstrate that there exist stable solutions with symmetry-broken amplitude- and phase-locking. These states are characterized by a non-trivial fixed phase and amplitude relationship between both oscillators, while simultaneously maintaining perfectly harmonic oscillations of the same frequency. While some of the surrounding bifurcations have been previously described, we present the first detailed analytical and numerical description of these states and present analytically and numerically how they are embedded in the bifurcation structure of the system, arising both from the in-phase as well as the anti-phase solutions, as well as through a saddle-node bifurcation. The dependence of both the amplitude and the phase on parameters can be expressed explicitly with analytic formulas. As opposed to previous reports, we find that these symmetry-broken states are stable, which can even be shown analytically. As an example of symmetry-breaking solutions in a simple and symmetric system, these states have potential applications as bistable states for switches in a wide array of coupled oscillatory systems.