Desynchronization and on-off intermittency in complex networks

Most existing works on synchronization in complex networks concern the synchronizability and its dependence on network topology. While there has also been work on desynchronization wave patterns in networks that are regular or nearly regular, little is known about the dynamics of synchronous patterns in complex networks. We find that, when a complex network becomes desynchronized, a giant cluster of a vast majority of synchronous nodes can form. A striking phenomenon is that the size of the giant cluster can exhibit an extreme type of intermittent behavior: on-off intermittency. We articulate a physical theory to explain this behavior. This phenomenon may have implications to the evolution of real-world systems.