Physicists create world's first time crystal visible to human eye

Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have created the world’s first time crystal visible to the human eye, using liquid crystals—the same materials found in phone displays. Unlike ordinary crystals with repeating spatial patterns, time crystals exhibit a repeating structure in time, with components that move and transform in a continuous cycle. By shining specific light on liquid crystal samples contained between glass plates coated with dye molecules, the researchers induced stable, swirling patterns that repeat over time and can be seen under a microscope or even with the naked eye under special conditions. This breakthrough builds on the theoretical concept proposed by Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek in 2012 and subsequent experimental realizations that were not visible without specialized equipment. The liquid crystal time crystals form through the movement and interaction of molecular “kinks” that behave like particles, creating dynamic, stable patterns resistant to temperature changes. The team envisions practical applications such as advanced anti-counterfeiting measures—embedding “time watermarks” in currency that reveal unique moving patterns