近日，美国加州大学伯克利分校Ashok Ajoy团队研究了离散时间晶体传感。这一研究成果发表在2026年2月23日出版的《自然—物理学》杂志上。
预热离散时间晶体是一种非平衡态物质，具有长程时空序和周期驱动下由多体相互作用稳定的次谐波响应。时间晶体有序性对驱动协议扰动的鲁棒性使其在量子传感领域颇具吸引力。
研究组利用预热离散时间晶体有序性对其序参量偏差的敏感性，在金刚石中强驱动、偶极耦合的13C核自旋体系中实现了对交变磁场的频率选择探测。将振荡场融入时间晶体动力学后，其寿命呈指数级延长，并在序参量中产生尖锐的共振响应。由于强自旋间相互作用有助于稳定时间晶体有序性，传感器的线宽仅由时间晶体寿命决定。
该器件工作于0.5–50 kHz频段——这对基于原子蒸气或电子自旋的传感器而言是具有挑战性的频率范围——并实现了具有竞争力的灵敏度。研究组所展示的传感原理对驱动误差和样品不均匀性具有鲁棒性，并可应用于超导电路、中性原子和离子阱等多种物理平台。
附：英文原文
Title: Sensing with discrete time crystals
Author: Moon, Leo Joon Il, Schindler, Paul M., Smith, Ryan J., Druga, Emanuel, Zhang, Zhuo-Rui, Bukov, Marin, Ajoy, Ashok
Issue&Volume: 2026-02-23
Abstract: Prethermal discrete time crystals are non-equilibrium states of matter with long-range spatiotemporal order and a subharmonic response stabilized by many-body interactions under periodic driving. The robustness of time-crystalline order to perturbations in the drive protocol makes these systems attractive for quantum sensing. Here we exploit the sensitivity of prethermal discrete time crystal order to deviations in its order parameter to implement the frequency-selective detection of time-varying magnetic fields in a system of strongly driven, dipolar-coupled 13C nuclear spins in a diamond. Incorporating an oscillating field into the time crystal dynamics extends its lifetime exponentially, producing a sharp resonant response in the order parameter. The sensor linewidth is set by the time crystal lifetime alone, as strong interspin interactions help stabilize the time-crystalline order. The device operates in the 0.5–50-kHz range—a challenging frequency regime for sensors based on atomic vapour or electronic spins—and achieves competitive sensitivity. The sensing principle we demonstrate is robust to drive errors and sample inhomogeneities, and is applicable across a range of physical platforms including superconducting circuits, neutral atoms and trapped ions.
DOI: 10.1038/s41567-025-03163-6
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-025-03163-6