Collective Current Rectification

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the topology of coupled underdamped ac-driven units influences current rectification, revealing that symmetry-breaking and synchronization transitions are key to controlling dc-current direction.

Contribution

It introduces a framework linking network topology and symmetry to current rectification, highlighting the role of synchronization in current reversals.

Findings

Network topology determines the presence or absence of spatial symmetries.

Synchronization transitions are associated with current reversals.

Dynamical mechanisms of rectification are identified through symmetry analysis.

Abstract

We consider a network of coupled underdamped ac-driven dynamical units exposed to a heat bath. The topology of connections defines the absence/presence of certain spatial symmetries, which in turn cause nonzero/zero value of a mean dc-output. We discuss dynamical mechanisms of the rectification and identify dc-current reversals with synchronization/desynchronization transitions in the network dynamics.