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Metamaterial analogue of continuous time-crystal

Metamaterial analogue of continuous time-crystal
Metamaterial analogue of continuous time-crystal
Time crystals are an eagerly sought phase of matter in which time-translation
symmetry is broken. Quantum time crystals with discretely broken time-translation symmetry have been demonstrated in trapped atomic ions, atoms and spins while continuously broken time-translation symmetry has been observed in an atomic condensate inside an optical cavity. Here we report that a classical metamaterial nanostructure, a twodimensional array of plasmonic metamolecules supported on flexible nanowires, can be driven to a state possessing all key features of a continuous time crystal: continuous coherent illumination by light resonant with the metamolecules’ plasmonic modes triggers a spontaneous phase transition to a state in which transmissivity oscillations result from a many-body interaction among plasmonic metamolecules and which is characterized by long range order in space and time. As the state can be manipulated optically, the phenomenon is of interest to topological and non-Hermitian physics and application in frequency conversion, memory, modulation, nonreciprocity and amplification.
Liu, Tongjun
53eb4a71-ea7b-4aa7-b96d-b70c5df1dd63
Ou, Jun-Yu
3fb703e3-b222-46d2-b4ee-75f296d9d64d
MacDonald, Kevin F.
76c84116-aad1-4973-b917-7ca63935dba5
Zheludev, Nikolai
32fb6af7-97e4-4d11-bca6-805745e40cc6
Liu, Tongjun
53eb4a71-ea7b-4aa7-b96d-b70c5df1dd63
Ou, Jun-Yu
3fb703e3-b222-46d2-b4ee-75f296d9d64d
MacDonald, Kevin F.
76c84116-aad1-4973-b917-7ca63935dba5
Zheludev, Nikolai
32fb6af7-97e4-4d11-bca6-805745e40cc6

Liu, Tongjun, Ou, Jun-Yu, MacDonald, Kevin F. and Zheludev, Nikolai (2022) Metamaterial analogue of continuous time-crystal. 16th International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel Wave Phenomena, , Siena, Italy. 12 - 17 Sep 2022. 1 pp .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Time crystals are an eagerly sought phase of matter in which time-translation
symmetry is broken. Quantum time crystals with discretely broken time-translation symmetry have been demonstrated in trapped atomic ions, atoms and spins while continuously broken time-translation symmetry has been observed in an atomic condensate inside an optical cavity. Here we report that a classical metamaterial nanostructure, a twodimensional array of plasmonic metamolecules supported on flexible nanowires, can be driven to a state possessing all key features of a continuous time crystal: continuous coherent illumination by light resonant with the metamolecules’ plasmonic modes triggers a spontaneous phase transition to a state in which transmissivity oscillations result from a many-body interaction among plasmonic metamolecules and which is characterized by long range order in space and time. As the state can be manipulated optically, the phenomenon is of interest to topological and non-Hermitian physics and application in frequency conversion, memory, modulation, nonreciprocity and amplification.

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niz invited - time crystal - Accepted Manuscript
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Published date: 12 September 2022
Venue - Dates: 16th International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel Wave Phenomena, , Siena, Italy, 2022-09-12 - 2022-09-17

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 470347
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/470347
PURE UUID: 4d894e0e-1e47-43cd-8fba-929cf8fb61f8
ORCID for Jun-Yu Ou: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8028-6130
ORCID for Kevin F. MacDonald: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3877-2976
ORCID for Nikolai Zheludev: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1013-6636

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Date deposited: 06 Oct 2022 17:10
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 07:30

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Contributors

Author: Tongjun Liu
Author: Jun-Yu Ou ORCID iD

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