Minimal Chimera States in Phase-Lag Coupled Mechanical Oscillators

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates experimental chimera states in a minimal network of three mechanical oscillators with phase-lagged coupling, showing robustness and complex switching behavior.

Contribution

First experimental realization of chimera states in a minimal mechanical oscillator network with real-time, adjustable phase-lag coupling.

Findings

Chimera states observed in a three-oscillator system.

Chimera states are robust over a wide parameter range.

System exhibits heteroclinic switching between chimeras.

Abstract

We obtain experimental chimera states in the minimal network of three identical mechanical oscillators (metronomes), by introducing phase-lagged all-to-all coupling. For this, we have developed a real-time model-in-the-loop coupling mechanism that allows for flexible and online change of coupling topology, strength and phase-lag. The chimera states manifest themselves as a mismatch of average frequency between two synchronous and one desynchronized oscillator. We find this kind of striking chimeric behavior is robust in a wide parameter region. At other parameters, however, chimera state can lose stability and the system behavior manifests itself as a heteroclinic switching between three saddle-type chimeras. Our experimental observations are in a qualitative agreement with the model simulation.