Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Fabrication and Characterization of High-Q Silicon Nitride Membrane Resonators
Published on: August 8, 2025
Determination of the critical coupling for oscillators in a ring
Hassan F El-Nashar1, Hilda A Cerdeira
1Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
We identified key oscillators that dictate complete synchronization in coupled systems. A new formula accurately predicts the critical coupling strength needed for all oscillators to synchronize, aiding in cluster size determination.
Area of Science:
- Complex Systems
- Nonlinear Dynamics
- Statistical Physics
Background:
- Coupled oscillator systems are fundamental in various scientific domains.
- Understanding synchronization phenomena is crucial for modeling collective behavior.
- Periodic boundary conditions introduce unique challenges in synchronization dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the critical factors determining stable phase-locked solutions in coupled oscillators.
- To develop a predictive formula for the critical coupling strength leading to complete synchronization.
- To analyze the role of boundary conditions and initial frequencies in synchronization.
Main Methods:
- Modeling coupled oscillators with bidirectional nearest-neighbor interactions.
- Analyzing systems with periodic boundary conditions.
- Locating critical oscillators based on initial frequencies.
- Deriving a formula for critical coupling strength, incorporating boundary condition corrections.
- Comparing theoretical predictions with numerical simulations.
Main Results:
- Identified specific oscillators at cluster borders as key to stable phase-locking.
- Developed an accurate formula for critical coupling strength predicting complete synchronization.
- The formula shows high accuracy when compared to numerical simulation results.
- The study provides insights into the sizes of major clusters near full synchronization.
Conclusions:
- The behavior of oscillators at cluster boundaries is pivotal for achieving complete synchronization.
- The derived formula offers a robust method for predicting synchronization thresholds.
- This work enhances the understanding of synchronization in systems with periodic boundary conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Design Example: Underdamped Parallel RLC Circuit
Starting with a fixed...
Oscillations In An LC Circuit
RLC Circuit as a Damped Oscillator
Consider a series RLC circuit. Here, the presence of resistance in the circuit leads to energy loss due to joule heating in the resistance. Therefore, the total electromagnetic energy in the circuit is no longer constant and decreases with time. Since the magnitude of charge, current, and potential difference continuously decreases, their oscillations are said to be damped. This is...
Forced Oscillations
Concept of Resonance and its Characteristics
Oscillations about an Equilibrium Position

