Quantum Time Crystals Could Be Useful for Quantum Computing

Quantum time crystals are systems characterized by spontaneously emerging periodic order in the time domain. Lancaster University researchers experimentally studied two adjacent quantum time crystals realized by two magnon (magnetic particles) condensates in superfluid 3He-B. They saw an exchange of magnons between the time crystals leading to opposite-phase oscillations in their populations—a signature of the AC Josephson effect—while the defining periodic motion remains phase-coherent throughout the experiment.

The results demonstrate that time crystals obey the general dynamics of quantum mechanics and offer a basis to further investigate the fundamental properties of these phases and they could be for real-life applications in quantum computing and other applications.

Time crystals maintain coherence and are resistant to environmental noise. This is one essential for building quantum devices such as qubits in a quantum computer. There could be a way to precisely manipulate the quantum state. This would be needed to make useful quantum computers using time crystals.

Google and other companies are using superconductors and josephson junctions to make qubits. In the Josephson effect, coherent electrons flow back and forth between islands in a very specific way, depending on their quantum states.

They created a liquid of Helium 3 atoms and cooled them below 200 microkelvins. The superfluid atoms have a magnetic moment. The time crystalline periodic process in this system is the continuous rotation of the total magnetic moment. The constituent particles which are exchanged in the Josephson effect are magnetic quantum excitations, magnons.

Nature Materials – AC Josephson effect between two superfluid time crystals

SOURCES- Nature Materials, Eurekalert, Lancaster University
Written by Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com

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