Chimera states in small optomechanical arrays

Abstract

Synchronization of weakly coupled nonlinear oscillators is a ubiquitous phenomenon that has been observed across the natural sciences. We study the dynamics of optomechanical arrays—networks of mechanically compliant structures that interact with the radiation pressure force—which are driven to self-oscillation. These systems offer a convenient platform to study synchronization phenomena and have potential technological applications. We demonstrate that this system supports the existence of long-lived chimera states, where parts of the array synchronize while others do not. Through a combined numerical and analytical analysis we show that these chimera states can only emerge in the presence of mechanical frequency heterogeneity.