Research

Synchronization of oscillators—famously observed in the collective flashing of fireflies—appears in many natural and engineered systems. For example, in power networks, generators across Japan rotate in unison at 50 or 60 cycles per second, enabling a stable electricity supply. In physiology, the heartbeat is produced by a large number of pacemaker cells, each with its own intrinsic rhythm, that interact and synchronize their oscillations. I study theoretical and experimental methods for efficiently inducing and controlling such synchronization phenomena.

“Delay” often carries a negative impression—such as being late for school or missing a bus or train—and in engineering systems, delays are likewise usually regarded as undesirable. Indeed, signal delays inherent in a system are well known to destabilize its behavior in many situations. On the other hand, in nonlinear science, various control strategies—such as delayed feedback control and delay-coupled interactions—have been proposed to stabilize nonlinear systems by intentionally introducing time delays. My research extends the theory of such delay-based control methods and explores their potential applications to real engineering systems, including DC power-distribution buses and thermoacoustic systems.