Experimental control of chaos

Abstract

We have achieved control of chaos in a physical system using the method of Ott, Grebogi, and Yorke [Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 1196 (1990)]. The method requires only small time-dependent perturbations of a single-system parameter and does not require that one have model equations for the dynamics. We demonstrate the power of the method by controlling a chaotic system around unstable periodic orbits of order 1 and 2, switching between them at will.