Consistency in experiments on multistable driven delay systems

We investigate the consistency properties in the responses of a nonlinear delay optoelectronic intensity oscillator subject to different drives, in particular, harmonic and self-generated waveforms. This system, an implementation of the Ikeda oscillator, is operating in a closed-loop configuration, exhibiting its autonomous dynamics while the drive signals are additionally introduced. Applying the same drive multiple times, we compare the dynamical responses of the optoelectronic oscillator and quantify the degree of consistency among them via their correlation. Our results show that consistency is not restricted to conditions close to the first Hopf bifurcation but can be found in a broad range of dynamical regimes, even in the presence of multistability. Finally, we discuss the dependence of consistency on the nature of the drive signal. Published by AIP Publishing.