We have explored a variety of synchronization domains and observed phase-flip transition in a pair of coupled 1-pentanol drops as a function of the volume mismatch. Both experimental observations and numerical studies are presented. The experiments were carried out in a rectangular channel in a ferroin deionized water solution premixed with some volume of pentanol. A single pentanol drop ($\ge 3\mu \mathrm{L}$) performs back and forth oscillations along the length of the channel due to the well-known Marangoni forces. In the present work, for a pair of drops, the drop 1 volume was changed from 3 to 5 $\mu \mathrm{L}$ in steps of $1\mu \mathrm{L}$, whereas the drop 2 volume was varied from 1 to 3 $\mu \mathrm{L}$ in steps of $0.5\mu \mathrm{L}$. A systematic investigation of all the possible combinations of the drop volumes showed the presence of three different types of synchrony—in-phase, antiphase, and phase-switched. In-phase synchronization was robust for a volume mismatch of $>3.0\mu \mathrm{L}$ between the two drops. On the other hand, antiphase synchronization was robust when the volume mismatch was $<2.0\mu \mathrm{L}$. The phase-switched state is a synchronized state involving a phase-flip transition in the time domain. This state was observed for the intermediate range of volume mismatch. Numerically, the system has been investigated using two Stuart-Landau oscillators interacting via a coupling function in the form of Lennard-Jones potential. The numerical results suitably capture both in-phase and antiphase oscillations for a pair of volume-mismatched pentanol drops.

• Received 2 May 2022
• Accepted 7 September 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.106.034614