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Weird ‘Time Crystals’ Are Made Visible at Last
"A time crystal is a form of matter that shows continuous, repeating patterns over time, much like how atoms in a normal crystal repeat in space. Examples once existed in only complex, quantum matter, but now physicists have found a way to make a time crystal that can be seen, under certain conditions, with the naked eye.[/
The feat, accomplished by physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder, and published in Nature Materials on 4 September, involved liquid crystals — bar-shaped molecules with properties between those of a liquid and those of a solid. Simply by shining a light on the liquid crystals, the team created ripples of twisting molecules through them. The ripples kept moving for hours, undulating with a distinct beat, even when the researchers changed the conditions. The rhythm was also out of sync with any incoming force — fulfilling the two defining criteria for a time crystal.
Although some of this behaviour of liquid crystals was already known, no one had previously considered whether it could be harnessed to make a time crystal, says Young-Ki Kim, a materials scientist at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea.
The macroscopic scale of the time crystal — at millimetres to centimetres across — creates opportunities “to provide deeper understanding” of the phenomena, he says. The distinctive patterns in the crystals could also allow them to be used in anti-counterfeit devices, say the authors.
The feat, accomplished by physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder, and published in Nature Materials on 4 September, involved liquid crystals — bar-shaped molecules with properties between those of a liquid and those of a solid. Simply by shining a light on the liquid crystals, the team created ripples of twisting molecules through them. The ripples kept moving for hours, undulating with a distinct beat, even when the researchers changed the conditions. The rhythm was also out of sync with any incoming force — fulfilling the two defining criteria for a time crystal.
Although some of this behaviour of liquid crystals was already known, no one had previously considered whether it could be harnessed to make a time crystal, says Young-Ki Kim, a materials scientist at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea.
The macroscopic scale of the time crystal — at millimetres to centimetres across — creates opportunities “to provide deeper understanding” of the phenomena, he says. The distinctive patterns in the crystals could also allow them to be used in anti-counterfeit devices, say the authors."
- SciAm
"A time crystal is a form of matter that shows continuous, repeating patterns over time, much like how atoms in a normal crystal repeat in space. Examples once existed in only complex, quantum matter, but now physicists have found a way to make a time crystal that can be seen, under certain conditions, with the naked eye.[/
The feat, accomplished by physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder, and published in Nature Materials on 4 September, involved liquid crystals — bar-shaped molecules with properties between those of a liquid and those of a solid. Simply by shining a light on the liquid crystals, the team created ripples of twisting molecules through them. The ripples kept moving for hours, undulating with a distinct beat, even when the researchers changed the conditions. The rhythm was also out of sync with any incoming force — fulfilling the two defining criteria for a time crystal.
Although some of this behaviour of liquid crystals was already known, no one had previously considered whether it could be harnessed to make a time crystal, says Young-Ki Kim, a materials scientist at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea.
The macroscopic scale of the time crystal — at millimetres to centimetres across — creates opportunities “to provide deeper understanding” of the phenomena, he says. The distinctive patterns in the crystals could also allow them to be used in anti-counterfeit devices, say the authors.
The feat, accomplished by physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder, and published in Nature Materials on 4 September, involved liquid crystals — bar-shaped molecules with properties between those of a liquid and those of a solid. Simply by shining a light on the liquid crystals, the team created ripples of twisting molecules through them. The ripples kept moving for hours, undulating with a distinct beat, even when the researchers changed the conditions. The rhythm was also out of sync with any incoming force — fulfilling the two defining criteria for a time crystal.
Although some of this behaviour of liquid crystals was already known, no one had previously considered whether it could be harnessed to make a time crystal, says Young-Ki Kim, a materials scientist at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea.
The macroscopic scale of the time crystal — at millimetres to centimetres across — creates opportunities “to provide deeper understanding” of the phenomena, he says. The distinctive patterns in the crystals could also allow them to be used in anti-counterfeit devices, say the authors."
- SciAm