Boundary Time Crystals Induced by Local Dissipation and Long-Range Interactions

Area of Science:

• * Quantum physics
• * Condensed matter physics
• * Statistical mechanics

Background:

• * Driven-dissipative many-body systems exhibit unique quantum phases not found in equilibrium.
• * Dynamical quantum phases can emerge from the interplay of coherent driving and collective dissipation.
• * Boundary time crystals (BTCs) spontaneously break time-translation symmetry but are typically fragile against local dissipation.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To demonstrate a robust BTC intrinsically induced by local dissipation.
• * To investigate the behavior of this robust BTC across different regimes.
• * To explore the transition from mean-field limit cycles to correlated BTCs.

Main Methods:

• * Extensive numerical simulations were employed to provide evidence for the BTC.
• * The study analyzed the system's behavior with varying interaction ranges.
• * Quantum correlations were quantified to characterize the BTC phase.

Main Results:

• * A robust BTC was successfully demonstrated, driven intrinsically by local dissipation.
• * The study identified a transition from mean-field limit cycles to correlated BTCs as interaction range decreased.
• * Sizable quantum correlations were observed in the correlated BTC regime.

Conclusions:

• * Local dissipation can intrinsically induce robust boundary time crystals.
• * The findings broaden the understanding of nonequilibrium quantum phases.
• * This work provides new insights for the experimental search for dynamical quantum matter.