Van der Pol oscillator based on NbO2 volatile memristor: A simulation analysis

Nature positively embodies a rich yet complex array of nonlinear phenomena. To date, it has remained unclear how to exploit these phenomena to solve a wide range of problems. The Van der Pol oscillator is one of the nonlinear dynamical systems that hold tremendous promise for a broad range of important applications from a circuit performance booster to hard problem solving to mapping the biological nonlinear dynamics. Here, we theoretically build a Van der Pol oscillator circuit using a NbO2 volatile memristor to perform a systematic analysis of the complex nonlinear dynamic behavior. Three types of oscillation phenomena including period doubling, quasi-period, and chaos are obtained by varying the parallel capacitance and futher distinguished by mathematical analysis, such as fast Fourier transform, Poincare plots, and plane trajectories of voltage on the memristor. The frequency locking phenomenon of the system is presented to enable a programmable frequency demultiplication. Moreover, the other critical circuit parameters such as DC voltage amplitude, load resistance, and AC driving frequency are also modulated to understand the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the system. All these analyses provide a viable platform to understand and implement nonlinear systems for a broad range of multifunctional oscillatory devices.