Time crystals, time quasicrystals, and time crystal dynamics

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• Samuli Autti, Lancaster University, UK
• Wednesday 25 October 2023, 16:00-17:00
• Physics West, W117.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Yeshpal Singh.

Time crystals are a novel phase of matter, characterised by persistent, repeating motion in the ground state. Therefore, a time crystal seems like a perpetual motion machine, and thus impossible. However, in quantum physics perpetual motion is OK if we cannot observe it. By sneaking through this crack, we can make time crystals. We explore time crystals made from magnetic quasiparticles within superfluid helium-3. The experiments are carried out at about one 10000th of a degree above absolute zero. For example, we bring two time crystals to touch each other. The resulting two-level system is characterised by population oscillations and population transfer between the levels. Our experiments substantiate the theoretical speculations on the existence of time crystals, and provide a novel, magnetic building block for quantum devices – potentially even at room temperature.

This talk is part of the Physics and Astronomy Colloquia series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Bham Talks
• Physics West, W117
• Physics and Astronomy Colloquia
• What's on in Physics?

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