Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder created "continuous space–time crystals" using common liquid crystals and a blue-light–responsive dye. The illuminated samples produced colorful, self-sustaining patterns (spatiotemporal solitons) that repeat in space and time without continuous mechanical input. The team measured conditions such as 77 mPa·s viscosity, 3 µm cell thickness and surface energy ≈10−5 J/m2. Potential applications include anti-counterfeiting "time watermarks," time-based data storage and new optical communication methods; results are published in Nature Materials.
Visible Time Crystals: Scientists Create Continuous Space–Time Crystals from Everyday Liquid Crystals
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder created "continuous space–time crystals" using common liquid crystals and a blue-light–responsive dye. The illuminated samples produced colorful, self-sustaining patterns (spatiotemporal solitons) that repeat in space and time without continuous mechanical input. The team measured conditions such as 77 mPa·s viscosity, 3 µm cell thickness and surface energy ≈10−5 J/m2. Potential applications include anti-counterfeiting "time watermarks," time-based data storage and new optical communication methods; results are published in Nature Materials.
19:20, 02.11.2025Science
Visible Time Crystals: Everyday Materials, Extraordinary Motion
If you could see time passing, it might look like looping ribbons of color that flash and shimmer when light catches them. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder report they have created "continuous space–time crystals" (CSTCs): thin layers of liquid crystal and a light-responsive dye that produce colorful, self-sustaining patterns that repeat in both space and time.
How the experiment worked
Physicists Hanqing Zhao and Ivan Smalyukh sandwiched a 3 µm layer of liquid crystal between two glass plates and added a dye that responds to blue light (around 450 nm). When illuminated, the dye molecules change shape and nudge nearby liquid-crystal molecules. That interaction launches waves of motion through the material that organize into persistent, repeating patterns.
"All it takes is shining a light, and this entire world of time crystals comes into bear," said Smalyukh, a physics professor and fellow at the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute.
What was observed
Under a microscope — and sometimes to the naked eye — the sample displayed colorful, complex stripes that swirled, pulsed, folded and re-formed in rhythmic cycles. After the light initiated the motion, the system remained self-sustaining without continuous mechanical input. The team identifies the self-organized structures as spatiotemporal solitons: stable, wave-like formations that maintain rhythm and order in both space and time.
Measured conditions and reproducibility
The researchers report reproducible behavior under well-defined conditions: viscosity ≈ 77 mPa·s, cell thickness ≈ 3 µm, and surface energy ≈ 10−5 J/m2. They verified that the patterns persisted for hours and that the effect was intrinsic to the sample rather than caused by external vibration or noise.
Potential applications
Because each CSTC generates a unique time-dependent motion when illuminated, the team suggests applications in anti-counterfeiting ("time watermarks"), cryptography and high-density, time-encoded data storage. A 1 cm2 sample requires under 0.0002 g of liquid crystal and about 10−14 g of dye, indicating the approach could be inexpensive and scalable. The researchers have filed a patent application through the university and acknowledge U.S. Department of Energy support.
Why this matters
Previously, time-crystalline behavior was mainly demonstrated in quantum systems operating under extreme conditions (vacuum, lasers, near absolute zero). The Boulder team's work shows similar ordered, time-repeating dynamics in soft matter at room temperature, broadening the range of systems where time-crystalline order can appear and suggesting new avenues for materials that self-organize in time.
Caveats and next steps
While the results are promising, practical deployment will require further engineering: integrating CSTCs into devices, ensuring robustness under real-world conditions, and developing standardized readout methods for any anti-counterfeiting or data-storage use. Follow-up experiments and independent replication will clarify limits, stability, and potential for commercialization.
Publication: The full findings appear in Nature Materials.