Time crystals merging for the first time. But we will wait for the practical applications

For the first time in history, scientists have been able to create time crystals embedded in a system that appears to contradict the laws of physics.

Physicists have long searched for time crystals, that is, structures that repeat in time and space. Its existence was proposed by Frank Wilczek in 2012, and since then scientists have tried to produce it in laboratory conditions. It was only possible in 2016. Now in Nature Communications A work has been published suggesting that not only can time crystals be created, but that they can also be turned into useful devices.

Everyone knows that perpetual motion machines are impossible. However, in quantum physics, a perpetual motion machine is fine as long as our eyes are closed. By sliding through this gap, we can form time crystals.

Dr.. Samoli Ooty is from the Department of Physics at Lancaster University

time crystals Scientists are working on itIt is made up of quasiparticles called magnetons. It’s not a real particle, but a collective excitation of an electron spin – something like a passing wave.

Magnonites form when helium-3 – a rare isotope of helium with one neutron missing – is cooled to a temperature close to absolute zero, which is 0.0001 K, or -273.15^AroundC. In this way, the so-called superfluid B – is characterized by a liquid of zero viscosity and low pressure. Under these conditions, time crystals form Bose-Einstein condensates, each consisting of trillions of magnons.

Read also: A quantum computer created a time crystal. What does that actually mean?

When the time crystals touched each other, magnetons exchanged. This in turn affected the oscillation of each time crystal, creating a single system that could operate in two separate states. The achievement by scientists from Lancaster University, Royal Holloway London, the Landau Institute and Aalto University in Helsinki represents new opportunities for quantum technologies.

It turns out that putting time crystals together works beautifully, even if time crystals weren’t supposed to exist at all. We already know that it is also present at room temperature.

Dr.. Samoli Ooty

Unfortunately, time crystals are not yet of practical use. In order to be able to use it, for example, in quantum computers, it is necessary to solve many problems. But it’s still a hit, because time crystals have only existed theoretically as of late.