Mutual annihilation of counter-rotating spiral waves induced by electric fields

Spiral waves, as a typical self-organized structure with chiral characteristics, are widely found in excitable media such as cardiac tissues, chemical reactions, and neural networks. Based on the FitzHugh–Nagumo model, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the effects of direct current electric fields (DCEF), alternating current electric fields (ACEF), and polarized electric fields (PEF) on the interaction and annihilation processes of counter-rotating spiral waves. We found that in a direct current electric field, the drift direction of the spiral wave is determined jointly by its chirality and the electric field direction, which allows selective attraction or repulsion. In an alternating current electric field, the annihilation behavior of spiral waves can be influenced by the phase and intensity of the electric field, where a specific range of parameters induces resonance drift and eventual annihilation. On the other hand, the polarized electric field exhibits a more complex modulation capability on spiral waves: the trajectory and annihilation efficiency of spiral waves can be regulated by both the intensity and phase of the polarized electric field. These results reveal the potential feasibility of regulating multichiral spiral waves through multiple electric fields, providing theoretical insight for the control of spiral waves in relevant systems.