They sound for science fiction, to a clock that would take in Star Trek to travel to other dimensions and other times. But time crystals are a real object … good, it is not an object, rather they are a unique phase of the matter in which the particles exhibit a perpetual and rhythmic movement in their state of minor energy, repeating in time instead of space. Unlike traditional crystals that repeat patterns in space, Time crystals repeat these patterns, but (as the name implies) in time. They are, in a nutshell, it is an infinite cycle, without batteries.
And now, for the first time, A team of scientists has managed to make these crystals visible. Glass cells full of liquid crystals respond to light to make the first crystals of time visible, even if a better vision could be obtained.
The previous time crystals have been mostly curiosities, but its creators, led by Hanqing Zhao, claim that They could be used to store data more efficiently o Create practically infallsifiable water marks. The results have been published in Nature.
“The big step, after years of investigation -explains Zhao in a statement -is that They can now be observed directly with a microscope and even, in special conditions, with the naked eye. ”
Liquid crystals have become omnipresent on smartphone screens, so a set of striped crystals that move under the influence of light might not seem so extraordinary. However, Zhao’s team Compare the way they maintain a regular movement for hours with that of a clock that rotates incessantly.
“Everything is born from nothing -adds co -author Ivan Smalyukh -. Just turn on a light, and this whole world of time crystals arises”
The concept of time crystals was proposed in 2012 by the Nobel Prize Frank Wilczek. Zhao and Smalyukh took advantage of the fact that the molecules that They make up the liquid crystals form torsions or folds by compressing properly, that can then behave as individual atoms, creating crystals of time to a much larger scale.
“These torsions exist and cannot be easily eliminated -says Smalyukh -. They behave as particles and begin to interact with each other”
To make them visible, the Zhao team dissolved liquid crystals in Tolueno and placed them between glass that had covered with dye. By exposing them to light blue, The dye molecules were reorganized, compressing liquid crystalscreating a multitude of folds that later began to interact with each other. Light did not even need to be a laser, simply linearly polarized.
One thing is that patterns are repeated in time relatively simple, such as waves that slide over the depths of the ocean; What the authors observed was something very different. They compared the behavior of folds with a dance dance, where couples are formed, separate, wandering among others and gather again and again. In fact, the failures in their structure are so complex that it is difficult to repair them, even when scientists tried to modify the temperature.
“That is the beauty of this time crystal – concludes Smalyukh – simply, Conditions that are not so special are created. A light comes on, and everything happens. ”
Among the suggestions on how its technology could be used, those responsible for the progress propose that it be used to prevent currency forgery, where adequate light could reveal a distinctive movement pattern. They are probably in a race against the abolition of physical tickets in that regard, but the demand for their ideas about How to use its creation to improve the transmission of information through fiber optic cables will only grow.