Physicists have discovered the secret that explains how large groups of individual ‘oscillators’ – from flashing fireflies to cheering crowds, and ticking clocks to clicking metronomes – tend to synchronize when in the presence of each other. This new discovery has a wide range of potential applications, including the development of new types of computer technology that process information using light signals.
Trinity College Dublin physicists have discovered the secret that explains how large groups of individual “oscillators” – from flashing fireflies to cheering crowds, ticking clocks to clicking metronomes – tend to synchronize when in the presence of each other.
The equations we developed describe an assembly of laser-like devices that act as our ‘oscillating clocks,’ and they essentially reveal the secret to synchronization. These same equations, however, describe many other types of oscillators, demonstrating that synchronization is easier to achieve in many systems than previously thought.
Dr. Paul Eastham
Their work, which was recently published in the journal Physical Review Research, provides a mathematical foundation for a phenomenon that has baffled millions of people: their newly developed equations help explain how individual randomness is seen in the natural world as well as in electrical and computer systems can give rise to synchronization.
We’ve known for a long time that physically connecting two clocks that run slightly faster than each other can cause them to tick in time. However, it was thought that synchronizing a large group of clocks in this manner would be much more difficult – or even impossible if there were too many of them. The Trinity researchers’ work, on the other hand, explains how synchronization can occur even in very large clock assemblies.
Dr. Paul Eastham, Naughton Associate Professor in Physics at Trinity, said:
“The equations we developed describe an assembly of laser-like devices that act as our ‘oscillating clocks,’ and they essentially reveal the secret to synchronization.” These same equations, however, describe many other types of oscillators, demonstrating that synchronization is easier to achieve in many systems than previously thought.
“From flashing fireflies and applauding crowds to electrical circuits, metronomes, and lasers, many things that exhibit repetitive behavior can be considered clocks.” They will oscillate at slightly different rates if they are not assembled, but their mutual influences will overcome that variation.”
This new discovery has a wide range of potential applications, including the development of new types of computer technology that process information using light signals. The Trinity Centre for High Performance Computing, which is supported by Science Foundation Ireland, was involved in the research, which was funded by the Irish Research Council.
