Time Crystals: When Matter Pulses to the Rhythm of Time

What sounds like science fiction has become reality in the lab: time crystals are a new, exotic state of matter that does not repeat in space, but in time, pulsating in a regular rhythm without ever coming to rest. A recent in-depth article in c't Magazin (heise online) traces the fascinating history of this idea: from the theoretical prediction by physicist and Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek in 2012, through a temporary refutation, to experimental breakthroughs just a few years later.

The Paul Drude Institute is part of this success story: Alexander Kuznetsov and his team stumbled upon a continuous time crystal almost by accident while investigating excitons and polaritons in semiconductor chips. The time crystal they discovered oscillated several billion times per second, faster than any previously known example. In the article, Kuznetsov reflects on the rapid progress of the field and shares insights into current research directions and potential applications, such as high-precision clock signals or frequency conversion in photonics.

Read the full article by Dr. Sabrina Patsch here (in German): Time Crystals: The Exotic Matter That Never Comes to Rest (heise online / c't Magazin, 1 June 2026)