Last year, scientists achieved a remarkable feat by creating a time crystal—a structure where atomic arrangements shift in repeated patterns, and it can even be seen with the naked eye. This latest research offers exciting possibilities that go beyond theoretical concepts.
The time crystal, highlighted in a paper in Physical Review Letters, is big enough to hold in your hand and levitates using sound waves. A team at New York University (NYU) developed this new type of time crystal, made from beads similar to styrofoam, that float on sound waves while they exchange energy.
David Grier, the senior author of the study, called the discovery “remarkable.” He emphasized how fascinating behaviors can arise from such simple systems.
Understanding Time Crystals
The concept of time crystals originated in 2012 when Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek envisioned a crystal that defied traditional symmetry in physics. While traditional crystals have a fixed structure, time crystals change their arrangement over time in a more dynamic fashion.
In recent years, physicists have explored various forms of time crystals. Most of these earlier versions were small and primarily academic, offering little practical application. However, a significant breakthrough occurred when researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder proposed a visible time crystal design.
A New Take on Everyday Materials
The newly discovered time crystal has practical implications. The beads used in the experiment are made of expanded polystyrene, the same material often found in packing materials. By suspending these beads in sound waves, researchers created conditions for a time crystal. When alone, a bead remains still, but when together, they interact in unique ways.
These interactions allow the beads to both absorb and emit energy from sound waves. As Grier explained, this system can operate without needing external forces to dictate its behavior.
Breaking Newton’s Laws
What’s intriguing about this time crystal is that it doesn’t follow the usual rules of motion. Normally, when two objects exert force on each other, they push back with equal force. However, these beads interact differently, much like two ferries creating waves that affect one another based on their size.
Mia Morrell, the lead author, illustrated this concept using the ferry analogy, pointing out how their differing sizes lead to different effects.
Grier believes this simplicity makes the new time crystal a foundational concept, comparable to the hydrogen atom in physics. It could inspire insights across various fields—from the rhythm of our hearts to fluctuations in financial markets.
This discovery opens up exciting avenues for future research. By studying a simple model, scientists may uncover deeper understandings of how complex systems exhibit time-dependent behaviors.
As the study of time crystals evolves, it will be fascinating to see how these findings are applied in practical ways.
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material science,quantum physics
