Synchronization of micromasers

Abstract: We investigate synchronization effects in quantum self-sustained oscillators theoretically using the micromaser as a model system. We use the probability distribution for the relative phase as a tool for quantifying the emergence of preferred phases when two micromasers are coupled together. Using perturbation theory, we show that the behavior of the phase distribution is strongly dependent on exactly how the oscillators are coupled. In the quantum regime where photon occupation numbers are low we find that although synchronization effects are rather weak, they are nevertheless significantly stronger than expected from a semiclassical description of the phase dynamics. We also compare the behavior of the phase distribution with the mutual information of the two oscillators and show that they can behave in rather different ways.