Solid-state continuous time crystal with a built-in clock

Solid-state continuous time crystal with a built-in clock

January 15, 2024 | I. Carraro Haddad, D. L. Chafatinos, A. S. Kuznetsov, I. Papucio, A. A. Reynoso, A. Bruchhausen, K. Biermann, P. V. Santos, G. Usaj, A. Fainstein
The paper presents a novel solid-state continuous time crystal (CTC) realized using driven-dissipative condensates of microcavity exciton-polaritons. This CTC is spontaneously formed from an incoherent particle bath excited by a continuous-wave non-resonant optical drive and optomechanical interactions with phonons. The phases of the CTC can be controlled by the power of the optical drive, leading to three distinct states: (i) Larmor precession of pseudo-spins, (ii) locking of the precession frequency to self-sustained coherent phonons, and (iii) doubling of the TC frequency by phonons. These findings establish microcavity polaritons as a platform for investigating time-crystal behavior in non-hermitian systems. The experimental setup and dynamics are described, along with theoretical models that explain the observed phenomena. The system exhibits period doubling and stable limit cycles, demonstrating robust time-crystal behavior. The presence of a mechanical clock, stabilized by the phonon frequency, further enhances the stability and reproducibility of the CTC. This work paves the way for exploring time crystals in open many-body quantum systems and has potential applications in quantum simulators and dynamical gauge theories.The paper presents a novel solid-state continuous time crystal (CTC) realized using driven-dissipative condensates of microcavity exciton-polaritons. This CTC is spontaneously formed from an incoherent particle bath excited by a continuous-wave non-resonant optical drive and optomechanical interactions with phonons. The phases of the CTC can be controlled by the power of the optical drive, leading to three distinct states: (i) Larmor precession of pseudo-spins, (ii) locking of the precession frequency to self-sustained coherent phonons, and (iii) doubling of the TC frequency by phonons. These findings establish microcavity polaritons as a platform for investigating time-crystal behavior in non-hermitian systems. The experimental setup and dynamics are described, along with theoretical models that explain the observed phenomena. The system exhibits period doubling and stable limit cycles, demonstrating robust time-crystal behavior. The presence of a mechanical clock, stabilized by the phonon frequency, further enhances the stability and reproducibility of the CTC. This work paves the way for exploring time crystals in open many-body quantum systems and has potential applications in quantum simulators and dynamical gauge theories.
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