Supersensitivity in a chain of closely spaced electric dipoles with variable moments

A chain of closely spaced oscillators is studied theoretically. The oscillators are interrelated electric dipoles whose moments may vary within a wide range. An expression for the oscillator interaction potential is suggested. On the basis of this potential, a one-dimensional nonlinear equation of motion is derived with allowance made for dissipation and external driving. A numerical investigation is carried out, and various nonlinear phenomena are revealed in the chain. Among them are the size effect and ultrasensitivity, i.e., a giant response of the chain to extremely weak periodic perturbations. The findings are compared with previously obtained experimental results on naturally occurring objects with similar structure. It is inferred that the model is realistic.