Synchronization process expediting in nonlinear oscillators via reconfiguration of the potential well pattern

Abstract

The synchronization phenomenon has garnered significant attention and extensive study due to its frequency locking effect, finding applications in diverse fields such as communication networks, neuroscience, and multi-robot systems. Fast frequency locking is crucial for synchronization applications, but there have been few investigations on it so far. In this study, we observed that when a nonlinear micro-oscillator synchronizes with a harmonic perturbation, the frequency and phase of the oscillator do not monotonically approach the locking state. Instead, they experience a period of frequency and phase fluctuations that can be divided into two stages: the slipping stage and the oscillation stage. The first slipping stage is affected by the frequency detuning between the perturbation force and oscillator, while the second oscillation stage time is determined by the configuration of the potential well. This configuration can be reconfigured by adjusting the nonlinearity terms of the micro system through phase delay, feedback strength, or perturbation strength. By reconfiguring the potential well pattern, we achieved a fivefold suppression of the synchronization process.