Characterization of intermittent lag synchronization

Intermittent lag synchronization of two nonidentical symmetrically coupled Rossler systems is investigated. This phenomenon can be seen as a process wherein the intermittent bursts away from the lag synchronization regime correspond to jumps of the system toward other lag configurations. During these jumps, the chaotic trajectory visits closely a periodic orbit. The identification of the different lag configurations and the measure of the fraction of time passed by the system in each one of them provide information on the global scenario of transitions undergone by the system before reaching perfect lag synchronization.