Physical origin of cross-coupling induced by external resistance

Clarify the physical mechanism by which the external series resistance in the silicon electrooxidation experiment effectively acts as a cross-coupling term in the globally coupled oscillatory medium.

Background

The experimental system (anodic silicon electrodissolution) exhibits bimodal amplitude patterns whose relative domain sizes can be tuned by the external resistance, modeled as a mean-field coupling. In the theoretical framework, this tuning corresponds to a cross-coupling term that affects amplitude–phase dynamics.

The authors highlight that the precise reason the external resistance functions as a cross-coupling term in the real electrochemical system is not yet understood, motivating targeted experimental investigation.