How To Create A Time Crystal: Viewpoint

VIEWPOINT
How to Create a Time Crystal

A detailed theoretical recipe for making time crystals has been unveiled and swiftly
implemented by two groups using vastly different experimental systems.
by Phil Richerme∗
he story of time crystals—whose lowest-energy
T configurations are periodic in time rather than

space—epitomizes the creative ideas, controversy,
and vigorous discussion that lie at the core of the
scientific process. Originally theorized by Frank Wilczek in
2012 [1] (see 15 October 2012 Viewpoint), time crystals were
Figure 1: Yao et al. [7] have developed a blueprint for creating a
met with widespread attention, but also a healthy dose of
time crystal and a method for detecting it, which has been followed
skepticism [2]. This ignited a debate in the literature, culmi- by two experimental groups [8, 9]. Quantum spins are subjected to
nating in a proof that time crystals cannot exist in thermal imperfect spin-flip driving pulses and then allowed to interact with
equilibrium, as originally imagined by Wilczek [3]. But the each other in the presence of strong random disorder in the local
tale did not end there. It was later argued that time crys- magnetic fields. The sequence repeats after a total time period T,
tals might still be possible in periodically driven systems, but the spin system exhibits emergent oscillations with period
which can never reach thermal equilibrium [4–6]. Three re- 2T—the hallmark of a discrete quantum time crystal. (APS/Alan
Stonebraker/Phil Richerme)
cent papers have now completed the story, one proposing
a roadmap for creating a nonequilibrium time crystal in the
lab [7], and two describing subsequent experimental demon-
strations in systems of trapped ions [8] and spin impurities cludes the existence of time crystals in thermal equilibrium
in diamond [9] (both posted on the physics arXiv preprint [3]). However, a loophole was left open: nonequilibrium
server). systems, such as those that are periodically driven, could
still allow time-crystal behavior [4–6]. In this case, if a sys-
Empty space exhibits continuous translation symmetry: tem were driven with period T, any time crystal would break
nothing distinguishes one point from any other. Yet ordinary the discrete time-translational symmetry of the drive and
crystals break this symmetry because atoms are periodically only return to its initial state after discrete multiples of a time
arranged in specific locations and display long-range spa- nT, where n is an integer [6]. Furthermore, for this discrete
tial correlations. Given that we live in four-dimensional time crystal to persist, it must be stabilized against heating to
spacetime, it is natural to wonder if an analogous process infinite temperature by imposing a phenomenon known as
of crystallization and symmetry breaking can arise along the many-body localization, wherein strong random disorder in
time dimension as well [1]. If it does, then any such time the system’s potential prevents energy absorption from the
crystal should return back to its initial state at specific times, drive.
while spontaneously locking to an oscillation period that dif- With the stage set, Norman Yao from the University of
fers from that of any external time-dependent forces. Hence California, Berkeley, and colleagues [7] studied a theoretical
this definition excludes all known classical oscillatory sys- model of a quantum system that would permit such time-
tems such as waves or driven pendulums. crystal behavior. The system, proposed in Ref. [6], is a 1D
For systems in thermal equilibrium, the existence of time chain of quantum spins subjected to an alternating drive that
crystals appears to be ruled out. In short, all physi- first flips all the spins and then allows the spins to interact
cally observable properties of quantum systems are time- with each other. The interactions take place in the presence
independent in equilibrium, so no time-periodic behavior of random, site-dependent external magnetic fields, which
can manifest itself. (A more detailed analysis of correlations support the necessary many-body localization phenomenon
between different components inside the system also pre- (Fig. 1). Within this model, Yao et al. calculated the full
range of parameters for which a time crystal should exist and
showed how those parameters should change with system
∗ Physics
Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405- size. A crucial property of this time crystal is its “rigidity”:
7105, USA even if the drive parameters are slightly changed (by making
physics.aps.org c
2017 American Physical Society 18 January 2017 Physics 10, 5
the spin-flip pulses imperfect, for instance), the period of the Symmetry breaking is a pervasive concept in physics, ex-
time-crystal oscillations from and to the initial spin state re- plaining diverse phenomena such as spatial crystals, super-
mains rigidly locked. This feature highlights the importance conductivity, and the Higgs mechanism. Yet until recently,
of interactions between the spins, since noninteracting spins time-translation symmetry was the “lone holdout” [6], in
would simply follow the imperfect drive. that there was no known way to break it. Observation of
The authors then proposed a protocol for creating and de- the discrete time crystal in a periodically driven, nonequi-
tecting such a time crystal in a string of cold, trapped ions, librium quantum system confirms that symmetry breaking
emphasizing the time crystal’s rigidity as a distinguishing can occur in essentially all natural realms, and clears the
signature. Moreover, they provided an experimental observ- way to several new avenues of research. Many unknown
able for determining one of the system’s phase boundaries, and unexplored phases of matter are predicted to exist only
beyond which it ceases to be a time crystal. Since spin- in such systems, and the experimental tools needed to cre-
spin interactions in cold-ion systems decay with a power ate them have now been demonstrated for the first time.
law in distance, the authors revisited the original model Although the full practical implications are not yet known,
under these conditions, showing that time-crystal behavior it is expected that such systems can exhibit topological or-
should still remain for wide ranges of interaction strengths der (the subject of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics), which
and spin-flip imperfections. With such a direct theoretical can potentially stabilize quantum states against decoherence
prescription in hand, the challenges of making a time crystal effects that limit their useful lifetime. These enhanced quan-
now rested squarely with the experimentalists. tum states could form the basis of more robust quantum
After this proposal was posted on the arXiv in August memories or improved devices for precision measurement.
2016, experimental observations of a discrete time crystal Taken together, the work presented by these three groups
were achieved by both Chris Monroe’s group at the Uni- [7–9] caps an intriguing story of scientific discovery—and
versity of Maryland in September 2016 [8], and by Mikhail it’s about time.
Lukin’s group at Harvard University in October 2016 [9].
In Monroe’s work, the quantum spins that created the time This research is published in Physical Review Letters and
crystal were encoded in a string of trapped ytterbium ions posted on the arXiv.
and coupled together through their mutual Coulomb inter-
action. While applying alternating sequences of precisely
tuned laser pulses, which could optically drive spin flips or REFERENCES
generate spin-spin interactions with random disorder [10],
the group monitored the time evolution of each spin’s mag- [1] F. Wilczek, ‘‘Quantum Time Crystals,’’ Phys. Rev. Lett. 109,
netization. As predicted by Yao et al., the system exhibited 160401 (2012).
emergent oscillations in the spins’ magnetizations that were [2] P. Bruno, ‘‘Comment on ‘‘Quantum Time Crystals’’,’’ Phys. Rev.
Lett. 110, 118901 (2013).
locked at twice the drive period (Fig. 1). These oscillations
[3] H. Watanabe and M. Oshikawa, ‘‘Absence of Quantum Time
persisted even when parameters of the drive were varied, Crystals,’’ Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 251603 (2015).
thereby heralding the long-desired time crystal. [4] V. Khemani, A. Lazarides, R. Moessner, and S. L. Sondhi,
Meanwhile, Lukin’s group studied an ensemble of nearly ‘‘Phase Structure of Driven Quantum Systems,’’ Phys. Rev.
one million dipolar spin impurities in diamond, called Lett. 116, 250401 (2016).
nitrogen-vacancy centers. The team employed microwave [5] C. W. von Keyserlingk, V. Khemani, and S. L. Sondhi, ‘‘Abso-
radiation to alternately flip the spins of the impurities and lute Stability and Spatiotemporal Long-Range Order in Floquet
to generate their spin-spin interactions, all in the presence Systems,’’ Phys. Rev. B 94, 085112 (2016).
of random disorder occurring natively within the diamond [6] D. V. Else, B. Bauer, and C. Nayak, ‘‘Floquet Time Crystals,’’
bulk. Despite using a completely different quantum sys- Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 090402 (2016).
[7] N. Y. Yao, A. C. Potter, I. D. Potirniche, and A. Vishwanath,
tem to that of Monroe’s group, the researchers observed
‘‘Discrete Time Crystals: Rigidity, Criticality, and Realizations,’’
the same significant features of a time-crystal state: os- Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 030401 (2017).
cillations at integer multiples of the drive period T (both [8] J. Zhang et al., ‘‘Observation of a Discrete Time Crystal,’’
2T and 3T in this work) and robustness to perturbations arXiv:1609.08684.
in the drive parameters. Furthermore, both groups have [9] S. Choi et al., ‘‘Observation of Discrete Time-Crystalline
performed initial measurements of the location of the time- Order in a Disordered Dipolar Many-Body System,’’
crystal phase boundary predicted by Yao et al., outside of arXiv:1610.08057.
which the time crystal “melts” into a symmetry-unbroken [10] J. Smith, A. Lee, P. Richerme, B. Neyenhuis, P. W. Hess, P.
state. Such similar results achieved in two wildly disparate Hauke, M. Heyl, D. A. Huse, and C. Monroe, ‘‘Many-body Lo-
systems underscore that time crystals are a broad new phase calization in a Quantum Simulator with Programmable Random
of matter, not simply a curiosity relegated to small or nar- Disorder,’’ Nature Phys. 12, 907 (2016).
rowly specific systems. 10.1103/Physics.10.5
physics.aps.org c
2017 American Physical Society 18 January 2017 Physics 10, 5

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VIEWPOINT

How to Create a Time Crystal

he story of time crystals—whose lowest-energy

T configurations are periodic in time rather than

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