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Space-time crystals of trapped ions

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SquiddyCracker

Banned
Tongcang Li, Zhe-Xuan Gong, Zhang-Qi Yin, H. T. Quan, Xiaobo Yin, Peng Zhang, L.-M. Duan, Xiang Zhang have made some very interesting work on the field of quantum physics and have in a new paper suggested that it might be possible to trap ions in four-dimensional space-time crystals.

Here we propose a space-time crystal of trapped ions and a method to realize it experimentally by confining ions in a ring-shaped trapping potential with a static magnetic field. The ions spontaneously form a spatial ring crystal due to Coulomb repulsion. This ion crystal can rotate persistently at the lowest quantum energy state in magnetic fields with fractional fluxes. The persistent rotation of trapped ions produces the temporal order, leading to the formation of a space-time crystal. We show that these space-time crystals are robust for direct experimental observation. The proposed space-time crystals of trapped ions provide a new dimension for exploring many-body physics and emerging properties of matter.
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Paper

Newscientist's take on this all:
First you need an ion trap, a device which holds charged particles in place using an electric field. This causes the ions to form a ring-shaped crystal, as ions trapped at extremely low temperatures repel each. Next, you apply a weak static magnetic field, which causes the ions to rotate.

Quantum mechanics means that the rotational energy of the ions must be greater than zero, even when the ring is cooled to its lowest energy state. In this state, the electric and magnetic fields are no longer needed to maintain the shape of the crystal and the spin of its constituent ions. The result is a time crystal – or indeed a space-time crystal, because the ion ring repeats in both space and time.
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Wilczek has also theorised that a working time crystal could be made into a computer, with different rotational states standing in for the 0s and 1s of a conventional computer. He says this should be possible with the proposed system. "To make it interesting you want to have different kinds of ions, maybe several rings that affect each other," he says. "You can start to think about machines that run on this principle."
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Interesting stuff.
 
F

fredrancour

Member
I am repeatedly checking the journal page for signs of a joke because hearing the phrase "spacetime crystal" used sincerely is so mindboggling.
 
X

Xero

Member
Was I the only one that thought of this
H06Ex.jpg


when they saw the phrase space-time crystals?
 
S

Spiffy_1st

Member
If they can exist after the end of the universe there may be some left over from the previous universe. Eight are scattered across the world that once collected will unlock the key to preventing the death of the universe.
 
E

Emwitus

Member
Propose, not peer reviewed yet i guess.....i suppose anyway. I want tangibles man lol :( Where's my bttf 2 scateboard? Huh?
 
X

Xero

Member
I wish I could find a picture, but I thought of something better. The opening credits of bill and ted where you see a giant crystal floating, until it turns into the phonebooth time machine. I'm not saying it was a space-time crystal, but.... it was space-time crystals.

I am interested in what they can learn from this though. Hopefully we can get some practical knowledge we can apply and see in our everyday lives.
 
O

Orbis Tabula

Member
Yeah, I was pretty excited when I read this. If they can make computers out of this that survive past the heat death of the universe, then I can upload my brain in there and live forever, rather than the short period of time between now and the end of the universe! :D
 
V

Vulcano's assistant

Banned
ssowinski said:
First the Higgs boson and now this. The future is here.

Good news everybody!
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abstract alien said:
What the hell. Science is moving at an accelerated rate and I like it.
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I think it is because some of the discoveries were not just made in these weeks, but that scientist are jumping in a publishing bandwagon now to gain a share of others momentum. Maybe in interest of catching the public and/or not losing investors distracted by others' discoveries.
 
S

SquiddyCracker

Banned
EskimoJoe said:
Yeah, I was pretty excited when I read this. If they can make computers out of this that survive past the heat death of the universe, then I can upload my brain in there and live forever, rather than the short period of time between now and the end of the universe! :D
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Weirdly enough, that would actually work.
These rings spin on forever, but the trick is creating them outside of a laboratory setting.
To start with, the only time these rings could exist free-floating in space would by the time the universe is at its end, and any supporting structures required to make these crystals would probably be non-existent.
 
A

Arthrus

Member
If I understand this correctly, you need to keep the ion ring cooled to its lowest energy state at all times or the system will fall apart. Very cool science, but it seems like this is a common challenge when trying to find practical applications for quantum mechanics.

Also,
Quantum mechanics means that ...
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my-brain-is-full-of-fuck.jpg
 
C

Coal

Member
Is it just me, or did the beginning of the OP read like a list of Dynasty Warriors characters? Just sayin'.
 
A

akira28

Member
Call me paranoid, but why is it, "mystical and amazing science achievement" always translates into 'makes computers faster/better'.

I bet if they found some kind of quantum physics philosophers stone particle they'd probably say it would make computers 3x faster or something to justify it.

it's a goddamn Time crystal, and so they use it to make a faster laptop? Unless that laptop can Google video the birth of Christ, I say they need to keep their eyes on the prize and get back to time machines and dimensional portals and hyperspace and shit. Time crystals don't grow on trees.
 
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