Modeling spontaneous breaking of time-translation symmetry

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how an ultra-cold atomic cloud bouncing on an oscillating mirror can spontaneously break discrete time-translation symmetry, providing insights into the realization of time crystals in quantum systems.

Contribution

It introduces a model showing spontaneous time-translation symmetry breaking in cold atom systems, highlighting mechanisms like atomic losses and measurements as triggers.

Findings

Spontaneous symmetry breaking observed in many-body simulations.

Atomic losses and measurements can induce symmetry breaking.

Results suggest pathways to realize time crystals experimentally.

Abstract

We show that an ultra-cold atomic cloud bouncing on an oscillating mirror can reveal spontaneous breaking of a discrete time translation symmetry. In many-body simulations we illustrate the process of the symmetry breaking that can be induced by atomic losses or by a measurement of particle positions. The results pave the way for understanding and realization of the time crystal idea where crystalline structures form in the time domain due to spontaneous breaking of continuous time translation symmetry.