Entanglement tongue and quantum synchronization of disordered oscillators

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2014 Feb;89(2):022913. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.89.022913. Epub 2014 Feb 12.

Abstract

We study the synchronization of dissipatively coupled van der Pol oscillators in the quantum limit, when each oscillator is near its quantum ground state. Two quantum oscillators with different frequencies exhibit an entanglement tongue, which is the quantum analog of an Arnold tongue. It means that the oscillators are entangled in steady state when the coupling strength is greater than a critical value, and the critical coupling increases with detuning. An ensemble of many oscillators with random frequencies still exhibits a synchronization phase transition in the quantum limit, and we analytically calculate how the critical coupling depends on the frequency disorder. Our results can be experimentally observed with trapped ions or neutral atoms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Feedback*
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Nonlinear Dynamics*
  • Oscillometry / methods*