A multinational team led by Hiroshima University and the University of Colorado has shown that space-time crystals—exotic structures that repeat in both space and time under external drive—can be fabricated from everyday liquid-crystal materials. The finding moves these theoretical objects closer to practical laboratory realization.
Space-time crystals were first proposed a decade ago but have remained largely theoretical. By using classical liquid crystals rather than quantum systems, the team simplified the creation process while preserving the crystals' hallmark periodic motion. The crystals were observed to exhibit dynamics resembling Majorana quasiparticles, which are particles that act as their own antiparticles.
The researchers tracked the crystals' behavior using optical microscopy and spectroscopy. They confirmed the structures maintained their time-looping motion for extended periods without decay. The use of widely available liquid crystals could lower barriers for further study.
If scalable, these crystals might find applications in precise timekeeping or sensors that exploit their unique periodic properties. The team plans to explore how external fields might control the crystal motion for practical devices.
"This opens a new avenue for exploring time crystals in classical systems," said lead author Professor K. Tanaka of Hiroshima University, as reported by Phys.org. The work is published in Physical Review Letters.