Quantum Time Crystal Clock and its Performance

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Viotti, Ludmila, Huber, Marcus, Fazio, Rosario, Manzano, Gonzalo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Viotti, Ludmila
Huber, Marcus
Fazio, Rosario
Manzano, Gonzalo
author_facet Viotti, Ludmila
Huber, Marcus
Fazio, Rosario
Manzano, Gonzalo
contents Understanding different aspects of time is at the core of many areas in theoretical physics. Minimal models of continuous stochastic and quantum clocks have been proposed to explore fundamental limitations on the performance of timekeeping devices. Owing to the level of complexity in the clock structure and its energy consumption, such devices show trade-offs whose characterization remains an open challenge. Indeed, even conceptual designs for thermodynamically efficient quantum clocks are not yet well understood. In condensed matter theory, time-crystals were found as an exciting new phase of matter, featuring oscillations in (pseudo)-equilibrium with first experimental observations appearing recently. This naturally prompts the question: can time crystals be used as quantum clocks and what is their performance from a thermodynamic perspective? We answer this question and find that quantum time crystals are indeed genuine quantum clocks with a performance enhanced by the spontaneous breaking of time-translation symmetry.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_08276
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quantum Time Crystal Clock and its Performance
Viotti, Ludmila
Huber, Marcus
Fazio, Rosario
Manzano, Gonzalo
Quantum Physics
Other Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
Understanding different aspects of time is at the core of many areas in theoretical physics. Minimal models of continuous stochastic and quantum clocks have been proposed to explore fundamental limitations on the performance of timekeeping devices. Owing to the level of complexity in the clock structure and its energy consumption, such devices show trade-offs whose characterization remains an open challenge. Indeed, even conceptual designs for thermodynamically efficient quantum clocks are not yet well understood. In condensed matter theory, time-crystals were found as an exciting new phase of matter, featuring oscillations in (pseudo)-equilibrium with first experimental observations appearing recently. This naturally prompts the question: can time crystals be used as quantum clocks and what is their performance from a thermodynamic perspective? We answer this question and find that quantum time crystals are indeed genuine quantum clocks with a performance enhanced by the spontaneous breaking of time-translation symmetry.
title Quantum Time Crystal Clock and its Performance
topic Quantum Physics
Other Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.08276