NYU Researchers Simulate Time Crystals with Acoustic Levitation
Researchers from NYU created a simulation of time crystals through their use of acoustic levitation technology. The time crystals which produce recurring patterns through time show their quantum properties in complex systems. However researchers at New York University created a classical system which uses sound waves and light particles to reproduce this behavior according to their study published in Physical Review Letters.
The research team used acoustic levitation to hold 1 to 2 mm polystyrene foam balls in suspension while they studied their properties in standing sound waves. The experimental design employed in this study requires external forces to create particle movement without using any specific rhythm as used in previous studies.
The movement began with small changes which happened to the balls' dimensions. The particles produced distinctive sound patterns because their stockpiled characteristics caused sound waves to scatter differently which created nonreciprocal interactions that produced asymmetric forces. These forces caused the particles to move in periodic patterns which resembled the behavior of time crystals.
The experiment demonstrated that a basic system with two particles could preserve its constant state through various hours of testing. The physicists established a fresh observation method when they discovered this phenomenon despite its absence from immediate commercial use.
Time crystal research advanced from its previous costly quantum research environments to basic classical research settings which enable scientists to examine physical phenomena with higher efficiency and lower expenses.
