Experimental observation of chimera states in spiking neural networks based on degenerate optical parametric oscillators

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental observation of chimera states in photonic spiking neural networks based on coupled degenerate parametric oscillators, revealing spontaneous spiking mode shifts and complex synchronization patterns.

Contribution

It demonstrates for the first time that photonic neural networks can exhibit chimera states and spontaneous spiking mode changes, advancing neuromorphic photonics research.

Findings

Observation of chimera states in photonic neural networks

Spontaneous switching between spiking modes (Class-I and Class-II)

Control over synchronization and spiking dynamics

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate that networks of identical photonic spiking neurons based on coupled degenerate parametric oscillators can show various chimera states, in which, depending on their local synchronization and desynchronization, different kinds of spiking dynamics can develop in a self-organized manner. Even when only a static interaction is implemented, through synchronized inputs from connected neurons, the spiking mode of photonic neurons can be spontaneously and adaptively changed between the Class-I and Class-II modes classified by A. L. Hodgkin. This spontaneous spiking-mode shift induces a significant change in the spiking frequency despite the all neurons having the same natural spiking frequency, which encourages the generation of chimera states. Controllability and self-organized flexibility of the spiking modes in the present system allow us to create an experimental platform to explore the nature of chimera states in neuromorphic spiking neural networks.