Quantum Time Crystals Promising for Quantum Computers

On June 2nd, Nature Communications published a new study in which nonlinear two-level dynamics of quantum time crystals were successfully demonstrated in the laboratory.

In 2012, Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek first proposed the theory of “time crystals”. Time crystals exhibit the bizarre property of being in constant, repeating motion in time despite no external input. Their atoms are constantly oscillating, spinning, or moving first in one direction, and then the other. It was widely believed that time crystals do not exist because perpetual motion does not exist in classical physics. However, in quantum physics, perpetual motion exists as long as there is no observation.

In this latest study, the superfluid helium-3 was cooled to near absolute zero. Helium-3 is a rare isotope of helium with one missing neutron. Scientists created two time crystals inside superfluid and brought them into contact with each other. Then, the interaction between the two time crystals was observed. The phenomena that occurred corroborated the theory of quantum time crystals.

The results of the research illustrate that the successful fabrication of time crystals for two-level systems based on quantum physics advances progress in the development of quantum computers in question. Since time crystals can exist at room temperature and “two-level systems” are the basic components of quantum computers, this suggests that time crystals could potentially be used to build devices such as quantum computers that work at room temperature.