David Mertens

Inspired by recent laboratory observations, we propose a mechanical model for eccentrically weighted motors coupled through a vibrating plate. The equations are found to generalize those of Kuramoto to frequency- and position-dependent coupling. The behavior of the model, as determined analytically for no disorder and numerically for systems with and without quenched disorder, shows the key features observed in the laboratory, including hysteresis, bistability, and a spectral gap. The model exhibits stimulated emission and discontinuous lasinglike transitions.