Scientists Succeed in Producing a Durable “TIME CRYSTAL”

Researchers at Germany’s TU Dortmund University report that they have developed an ultra-robust time crystal. Their study, published in Nature Physics, offers new insights into the potential applications and the physics governing time crystals, and offers a new method for keeping them stable.

Time crystals represent a new phase of matter, first theorized in 2012 by Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek. Unlike traditional crystals, which exhibit repeating patterns in space, time crystals display patterns that repeat in time. This means their atomic structures undergo periodic motion even without external energy, defying the traditional laws of thermodynamics that govern equilibrium in most systems.

The importance of the TU Dortmund team’s work lies in its demonstration of an ultra-robust time crystal within a semiconductor material. The time crystal they developed can maintain its periodic oscillations over extensive periods, roughly 40 minutes, which is millions of times longer than previous attempts.

The image resembling a flame actually represents the observed behavior of the new time crystal. Each dot in the image is a piece of experimental data that together illustrates the cyclic movements of the nuclear spins within the time crystal, showcasing its unique periodic behavior. (Image: © Alex Greilich/TU Dortmund)

Led by Dr. Alex Greilich, the team developed a novel method to stabilize the time crystal. Using indium gallium arsenide, the crystal’s nuclear spins store energy, acting like a battery.

So in simple terms, by shining light on the crystal, they created a special condition where the nuclear spins start to oscillate through their interaction with electron spins, effectively creating a time crystal. Metaphorically, think of the time crystal as a clock that keeps ticking without needing to be wound up. Greilich and his team achieved this by using a special kind of material where tiny particles inside it, called electrons and nuclei, talk to each other in a very specific way. This conversation makes the clock tick on its own, steadily and without stopping, even without any push from the outside.

This new time crystal can last for at least 40 minutes – a lifetime that surpasses previous records by ten million times, with potential for even greater longevity.

One of the most promising applications of time crystals is in the realm of quantum computing and information processing. Time crystals could potentially be used to create more stable qubits—the basic units of quantum information—which are notoriously sensitive to external disturbances. This stability could pave the way for more reliable quantum computers, capable of solving complex problems far beyond the reach of today’s most powerful classic computers.

Moreover, the intrinsic temporal regularity of time crystals makes them ideal candidates for enhancing the precision of timekeeping devices. In an era where every nanosecond counts, from GPS navigation to high-frequency financial trading, the development of clocks based on time crystals could significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of time measurements.

This new research provides a tangible example of time crystals in a relatively accessible semiconductor system, making further experimental investigation and application development more feasible. Additionally, the robustness of the time crystal against external perturbations addresses one of the critical challenges in the field, opening the door to real-world applications where stability is paramount.

Beyond enhancing quantum computing and timekeeping technologies, time crystals could revolutionize our understanding of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. They challenge conventional wisdom about the states matter can take and how systems behave over time, potentially leading to new theoretical frameworks and technological innovations.

MJ Banias is a journalist who covers security and technology. He is the host of The Debrief Weekly Report. You can email MJ at mj@thedebrief.org or follow him on Twitter @mjbanias.

The image resembling a flame actually represents the observed behavior of the new time crystal.

Has a real "tongues of fire" vibe to it.

Well, I lack the knowledge, intellect, discernment, and discipline to be able to wrap my mind around any of this.

Beyond the respect I have for the visionaries who think up this stuff, I can at least work with what I've got. It all ends up coming back full circle --

So in simple terms, by shining light on the crystal...

This caught my eye (I'm a fan of Hebrew phrases that involve time):

time crystal [גביש זמן], gavish zman

And "gavish" (crystal) looks and sounds a lot like "kevish" [כביש], a highway, road.

Usage example: Kevish 60 is Highway 60, aka "Derech HaAvot", the Way of the Patriarchs.

Or, as I like to call it on account of the signage, the "GO" highway:

That's no dumb pun because the ↃMC time machine debuted in the early hours of Saturday, Oct 26, 1985 (11 Cheshvan, Jewish Mother's Day) -- the Sabbath of Parshat Lech Lecha, or as I like to call it,

Parshat "Go!".

Einstein had skipped right over that particular minute. As far as he was concerned, the trip was instantaneous. It's the source text for why Abraham is the first Jew:

12.1 And the Lord had said to Abram, Get out from your country, and from your family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you:
Letter Samech (= 60):
ס

The Endless Cycle
The circular form of the samech symbolizes the fundamental truth reflected at all levels of Torah and reality: "their end is enwedged in their beginning and their beginning in their end." This realization and awareness of inherent unity between beginning and end, which, when comprehended in depth, implies equanimity at all stages of "the endless cycle," is in fact the manifestation of God's Transcendent Light (sovev kol almin), which encompasses equally every point of reality. This ever-present Transcendent Light is referred to as "He is equal and equalizes small and large." In our service of God, this implies that in relation to worldly phenomena, all things should be related to and accepted equally.
https://inner.org/hebleter/samech.htm

The "Time Road" keeps on going. It's an ingenious way to cover a lot of territory instantaneously:

Maase Bereshit -- the Act of Creation -- is repeated every moment. Therefore, the act of collapse and resetting the timeline occurs at every moment.
>>>
"The splitting of the sea may be seen as an allegory for separating or disentangling the past from the future."
https://quantumtorah.com/time-and-space-as-emergent-phenomena-abstract/

☤
DMC

Some of you might recall the story of how that particular needle-in-a-haystack imagery of Moses parting the Red Sea with the angel of the Lord guiding the way (that's the symbol for Hermes, the messenger whose planet whirls around the Sun every 88 Earth days) found me on the same day that the discovery of Shackleton's Endurance had been announced (Mar 9, 2022).

It's around here somewhere. It was the prize for tracking the source of a special "Jewish proverb", "I am who I am."

gavish versus kevish:

Time crystal = 412 =

Gen 1.4. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light [ ויבדל אלהים בין האור] from the darkness:

Time road = 429 =

Gen 1.4. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light [טוב ויבדל אלהים בין האור] from the darkness:

The full verse = 1776, which in tems of hours, is 74 [ע"ד] days.

Let the anagram server serve YOU:

TIME ROAD <---> MEDIATOR

So in simple terms, by shining light on the crystal

So many clocks, so little time. A daisy a day... "until [עד] the rivers run still"

Speaking of which -- golux, you might like the new upgrade overhaul to my FR page. You could hop down to start at the red X, to determine street cred for yourself. (The X Roman numeral 10 key is where the samech resides.)

♾️

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