Optimal phase description of chaotic oscillators

We introduce an optimal phase description of chaotic oscillations by generalizing the concept of isochrones. On chaotic attractors possessing a general phase description, we define the optimal isophases as Poincare surfaces showing return times as constant as possible. The dynamics of the resultant optimal phase is maximally decoupled from the amplitude dynamics and provides a proper description of the phase response of chaotic oscillations. The method is illustrated with the Rossler and Lorenz systems.