Characterizing the phase synchronization transition of chaotic oscillators.

The chaotic phase synchronization transition is studied in connection with the zero Lyapunov exponent. We propose a hypothesis that it is associated with a switching of the maximal finite-time zero Lyapunov exponent, which is introduced in the framework of a large deviation analysis. A noisy sine circle map is investigated to introduce this hypothesis and it is tested in an unidirectionally coupled Rössler system by using the covariant Lyapunov vector associated with the zero Lyapunov exponent.