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.