Pattern formation during the oscillatory photoelectrodissolution of n-type silicon: turbulence, clusters and chimeras

We report and classify the rich variety of patterns forming spontaneously in the oxide layer during the oscillatory photoelectrodissolution of n-type doped silicon electrodes under limited illumination. Remarkably, these patterns are often comprised of several dynamical states coexisting on the elec...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Konrad Schönleber, Carla Zensen, Andreas Heinrich, Katharina Krischer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2014-01-01
Series:New Journal of Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/16/6/063024
Description
Summary:We report and classify the rich variety of patterns forming spontaneously in the oxide layer during the oscillatory photoelectrodissolution of n-type doped silicon electrodes under limited illumination. Remarkably, these patterns are often comprised of several dynamical states coexisting on the electrode, such as subharmonic phase clusters and spatio-temporal chaos, and include so-called ‘chimera states’. The experiments suggest that the subharmonic phase clusters emerge from a period doubling bifurcation that, upon further parameter changes, evolves into classical phase clusters. Experimentally the occurrence of the patterns is controlled via two coupling mechanisms: a linear global coupling by an external resistor and a nonlinear coupling imposed on the system by the limitation of the illumination.
ISSN:1367-2630