Extreme synchronization transitions
Abstract Across natural and human-made systems, transition points mark sudden changes of order and are thus key to understanding overarching system features. Motivated by recent experimental observations, we here uncover an intriguing class of transitions in coupled oscillators, extreme synchronizat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59729-8 |
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| author | Seungjae Lee Lennart J. Kuklinski Marc Timme |
| author_facet | Seungjae Lee Lennart J. Kuklinski Marc Timme |
| author_sort | Seungjae Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Across natural and human-made systems, transition points mark sudden changes of order and are thus key to understanding overarching system features. Motivated by recent experimental observations, we here uncover an intriguing class of transitions in coupled oscillators, extreme synchronization transitions, from asynchronous disordered states to synchronous states with almost completely ordered phases. Whereas such a transition appears like discontinuous or explosive phase transitions, it exhibits markedly distinct features. First, the transition occurs already in finite systems of N units and so constitutes an intriguing bifurcation of multi-dimensional systems rather than a genuine phase transition that emerges in the thermodynamic limit N → ∞ only. Second, the synchronization order parameter jumps from moderate values of the order of N −1/2 to values extremely close to 1, its theoretical maximum, immediately upon crossing a critical coupling strength. We analytically explain the mechanisms underlying such extreme transitions in coupled complexified Kuramoto oscillators. Extreme transitions may similarly occur across other systems of coupled oscillators as well as in certain percolation processes. In applications, their occurrence impacts our ability of ensuring or preventing strong forms of ordering, for instance in biological and engineered systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9cfa3deec9ae4d9986fad4c077f0ddcd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-9cfa3deec9ae4d9986fad4c077f0ddcd2025-08-20T03:53:46ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-011611710.1038/s41467-025-59729-8Extreme synchronization transitionsSeungjae Lee0Lennart J. Kuklinski1Marc Timme2Chair for Network Dynamics, Institute of Theoretical Physics and Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Technische Universität DresdenChair for Network Dynamics, Institute of Theoretical Physics and Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Technische Universität DresdenChair for Network Dynamics, Institute of Theoretical Physics and Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Technische Universität DresdenAbstract Across natural and human-made systems, transition points mark sudden changes of order and are thus key to understanding overarching system features. Motivated by recent experimental observations, we here uncover an intriguing class of transitions in coupled oscillators, extreme synchronization transitions, from asynchronous disordered states to synchronous states with almost completely ordered phases. Whereas such a transition appears like discontinuous or explosive phase transitions, it exhibits markedly distinct features. First, the transition occurs already in finite systems of N units and so constitutes an intriguing bifurcation of multi-dimensional systems rather than a genuine phase transition that emerges in the thermodynamic limit N → ∞ only. Second, the synchronization order parameter jumps from moderate values of the order of N −1/2 to values extremely close to 1, its theoretical maximum, immediately upon crossing a critical coupling strength. We analytically explain the mechanisms underlying such extreme transitions in coupled complexified Kuramoto oscillators. Extreme transitions may similarly occur across other systems of coupled oscillators as well as in certain percolation processes. In applications, their occurrence impacts our ability of ensuring or preventing strong forms of ordering, for instance in biological and engineered systems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59729-8 |
| spellingShingle | Seungjae Lee Lennart J. Kuklinski Marc Timme Extreme synchronization transitions Nature Communications |
| title | Extreme synchronization transitions |
| title_full | Extreme synchronization transitions |
| title_fullStr | Extreme synchronization transitions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extreme synchronization transitions |
| title_short | Extreme synchronization transitions |
| title_sort | extreme synchronization transitions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59729-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT seungjaelee extremesynchronizationtransitions AT lennartjkuklinski extremesynchronizationtransitions AT marctimme extremesynchronizationtransitions |