Driving--induced bistability in coupled chaotic attractors

Abstract

We examine the effects of symmetry--preserving and breaking interactions in a drive--response system where the response has an invariant symmetry in the absence of the drive. Subsequent to the onset of generalized synchronization, we find that there can be more than one stable attractor. Numerical, as well as analytical results establish the presence of phase synchrony in such coexisting attractors. These results are robust to external noise.