The Intrigue of the Time Crystals
Posted on 02 Aug 2021; 03:00 PM IST. Last Updated 02 Aug 2021; 03:00 PM IST.Summary: This article explains the intrigue that lies hidden in the Time Crystals invented by GoogleTM.
Physics was originally regarded as Natural Philosophy, and the Laws of Nature were believed to be crafted by none other than God or the Almighty.
From a technology point of view, if we could trap a few electrons in a crystal, and change their spin with a laser, without destroying the original configuration, then it could be regarded as a good achievement. This is the essence of Time Crystals.
Does this change the fundamental principles of Physics or Nature?
For a very ordinary person, with minimal knowledge in Physics, it looks like a good achievement, but it does not change anything in Physics or Nature.
With minimal knowledge in Physics, we could conduct similar experiments in Physics, with just 10 US cents.
A sample experiment in presented below.
Assume we buy a plastic ball for 10 cents. We throw the ball up in the air, and then catch it, when it comes down. The ball has a very specific state, when it was at its maximum height, which is very different from the state, when it was in our hands. Nothing in the ball changed, while it altered between the states or configurations. We can repeat the experiment perpetually or infinite times.
Of course, we used gravity of earth (which is free), to conduct the 10 cent experiment, whereas GoogleTM used lasers in their experiment.
The author (of this article) does not denounce Google's experiment, in any way, and believes that it has merit in its own way, and serves its own purpose. It was compared with the 10 cent experiment, merely for the sake of understanding Physics or Nature.
Did we change the fundamental laws of Nature, by throwing a ball up and catching it, when it comes down?
Technically speaking, nothing is free. If we compare the experiments, there is energy cost in throwing a ball up. Similarly, there is an energy cost in trapping electrons and maintaining their configuration, and for changing their state.
For a very ordinary person, a laser beam sounds like an element or device of higher cost or energy, compared to the cost of the work it does by switching the states of electrons trapped in the crystal.
So, an ordinary person could easily believe that the Law of Conservation of Energy taught in high school, is NOT broken.