Physicists at Washington University have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of quantum mechanics by creating a new phase of matter known as “time crystals” and even more advanced “time quasicrystals.” These materials exhibit perpetual motion, challenging traditional physics and opening up new possibilities for quantum computing and precision timekeeping.
Time Crystals
Physicists at Washington University have created a new kind of time crystal, a unique phase of matter that challenges conventional understanding of motion and time. The research team includes Kater Murch, Chong Zu, Guanghui He, Ruotian “Reginald” Gong, Changyu Yao, and Zhongyuan Liu, along with collaborators Bingtian Ye from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Norman Yao from Harvard University.
In a time crystal, particles repeat patterns over time, much like atoms in a normal crystal repeat patterns in space. This phenomenon creates a crystallized structure in four dimensions: three physical dimensions plus the dimension of time. Time crystals have unique properties, such as perpetual motion, making them ideal for quantum computing and precision timekeeping.
Time Quasicrystals
The research team has also created time quasicrystals, a new phase of matter that is more advanced than time crystals. In material science, quasicrystals are recently discovered substances that exhibit highly organized structures even when their atoms don’t follow the same patterns in every dimension. Time quasicrystals vibrate at different frequencies, creating a precise and highly organized rhythm.
Fabrication and Applications
The team built their quasicrystals inside a small diamond chunk and bombarded it with nitrogen beams to create atom-sized vacancies. Electrons then filled these vacancies, leading to quantum-level interactions with neighboring atoms. The time quasicrystals are made up of over a million vacancies in the diamond, each approximately one micrometer across.
The potential uses of time crystals and quasicrystals include creating long-lasting quantum sensors that never need to be recharged and precision timekeeping. They could also revolutionize quantum computing by storing quantum memory for long periods of time. However, further research is needed to better understand how to read and track the signal.
Reference: “Experimental Realization of Discrete Time Quasicrystals” by Guanghui He et al., Physical Review X, 2025.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/physicists-bend-time-inside-a-diamond-creating-a-brand-new-phase-of-matter