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Clean Floquet Time Crystals: Models and Realizations in Cold Atoms
Biao Huang1, Ying-Hai Wu2, W Vincent Liu1,3,4
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 31, 2018
Summary
This study demonstrates that time crystals, phases breaking time-translation symmetry, can exist without disorder. Researchers propose clean Floquet-driven models and experimental schemes for realizing these novel time crystals.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum mechanics
- Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
Background:
- Time crystals exhibit spontaneous breaking of time-translation symmetry in non-equilibrium systems.
- Previous theories often assumed disorder for time crystal realization, contrasting with recent experimental findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically demonstrate the existence of time crystals in systems without disorder.
- To propose clean Floquet-driven models for realizing time crystals.
- To suggest experimental pathways for creating these novel phases.
Main Methods:
- Development of clean quasi-one-dimensional models subjected to Floquet driving.
- Analysis of strongly interacting regimes to identify robust time crystalline orders.
- Characterization using level statistics and out-of-time-ordered correlators.
- Proposal of two cold atom experimental schemes.
Main Results:
- Time crystals can generally exist in clean (disorder-free) systems.
- Robust time crystalline orders are observed in the strongly interacting regime.
- Emergent integrals of motion are identified in the dynamical systems.
- Two distinct cold atom experimental schemes are proposed for realization.
Conclusions:
- Disorder is not a prerequisite for the existence of time crystals.
- Clean Floquet time crystals are theoretically possible and experimentally feasible.
- This work expands the understanding of phases of matter beyond equilibrium.
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