Explosive synchronization enhances selectivity: Example of the cochlea

Acoustical signal transduction in the cochlea is an active process that involves nonlinear amplification and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. Signal transduction involves individual subunits composed of globally coupled hair cells, which can be modeled as oscillators close to a Hopf bifurcation. The coupling may induce a transition toward synchronization, which in turn leads to a strong nonlinear response. In the model studied here, the synchronization transition of the subunit is discontinuous (explosive) in the absence of an external stimulus. We show that, in the presence of an external stimulus and for a coupling strength slightly lower than the critical value leading to explosive synchronization, the response of the subunit has better frequency selectivity and a larger signal-to-noise ratio. From physiological observations that subunits are themselves coupled together, we further propose a model of the complete cochlea, accounting for the ensemble of frequencies that the organ is able to detect.