Fractal nature of high-order time crystal phases

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new order parameter for detecting discrete Floquet time crystal phases, revealing a fractal phase diagram in a long-range kicked Ising model and enhancing understanding of time-crystalline criticality.

Contribution

The paper proposes an experimentally accessible order parameter for time crystals, enabling detailed exploration of fractal phase boundaries in long-range driven systems.

Findings

Unveiled fractal boundaries in the phase diagram.

Demonstrated the emergence of $ ext{Z}_p$ symmetry.

Provided a new tool for chaos diagnostics.

Abstract

Discrete Floquet time crystals (DFTC) are characterized by the spontaneous breaking of the discrete time-translational invariance characteristic of Floquet driven systems. In analogy with equilibrium critical points, also time-crystalline phases display critical behaviour of different order, i.e., oscillations whose period is a multiple $p > 2$ of the Floquet driving period. Here, we introduce a new, experimentally-accessible, order parameter which is able to unambiguously detect crystalline phases regardless of the value of $p$ and, at the same time, is a useful tool for chaos diagnostic. This new paradigm allows us to investigate the phase diagram of the long-range (LR) kicked Ising model to an unprecedented depth, unveiling a rich landscape characterized by self-similar fractal boundaries. Our theoretical picture describes the emergence of DFTCs phase both as a function of the strength and period of the Floquet drive, capturing the emergent $\mathbb{Z}_p$ symmetry in the Floquet-Bloch waves.