Autonomous cycling between excitatory and inhibitory coupling in photosensitive chemical oscillators

Abstract

Photochemically coupled Belousov-Zhabotinsky micro-oscillators are studied in experiments and simulations. The photosensitive oscillators exhibit excitatory or inhibitory coupling depending on the surrounding reaction mixture composition, which can be systematically varied. In-phase or out-of-phase synchronization is observed with predominantly excitatory or inhibitory coupling, respectively, and complex frequency cycling between excitatory and inhibitory coupling is found between these extremes. The dynamical behavior is characterized in terms of the corresponding phase response curves, and a map representation of the dynamics is presented.

Experimental Investigation of the Dynamical Modes of Four Pulse‐Coupled Chemical Micro‐Oscillators

“…This coupling is of the inhibitory nature for the used concentrations of the BZ reactants. We know however that the illumination of the BZ reaction catalysed by Ru(bpy) 3 2+ can result in an excitatory perturbation as well, if the [NaBrO 3 ]/[MA] ratio is large enough . Therefore we may expect our method to be applied for the pulse excitatory coupling as well.…”

“…We know however that the illumination of the BZ reaction catalysed by Ru(bpy) 3 2 + can result in an excitatory perturbation as well, if the [NaBrO 3 ]/[MA] ratio is large enough. [18,19] Therefore we may expect our method to be applied for the pulse excitatory coupling as well. Different types of connectivity, like unidirectional or all-to-all, can also be achieved using our method.…”