Observation of a prethermal discrete time crystal

Area of Science:

• Statistical physics
• Quantum mechanics
• Condensed matter physics

Background:

• Extending statistical physics to nonequilibrium systems reveals new phases of matter, often driven periodically.
• Runaway heating in strongly interacting quantum systems hinders the study of these novel phases.
• Disorder-induced many-body localization is a common method to prevent heating.

Purpose of the Study:

• To observe signatures of a prethermal discrete time crystal, a nonequilibrium driven phase, without relying on disorder.
• To demonstrate a method for circumventing the heating problem in driven quantum systems.
• To present Floquet prethermalization as a general strategy for studying out-of-equilibrium phases.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a trapped-ion quantum simulator.
• Employing high-frequency driving to circumvent heating.
• Observing signatures of the prethermal discrete time crystal phase.

Main Results:

• Successfully observed the signatures of a prethermal discrete time crystal.
• Demonstrated that high-frequency driving, not disorder, can prevent runaway heating.
• Established an expansive time window for observing nonequilibrium phases.

Conclusions:

• Floquet prethermalization is a viable strategy for creating and stabilizing nonequilibrium phases.
• This approach allows for the study of intrinsically out-of-equilibrium phases of matter.
• Trapped-ion quantum simulators are effective tools for exploring these phenomena.