Minimal chimera states in phase-lag coupled mechanical oscillators
P. Ebrahimzadeh, M. Schiek, Patrycja Jaros, Tomasz Kapitaniak, Stefan van Waasen, Yuri Maistrenko
Abstract
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.