English

Classical Time Crystals

Other Condensed Matter 2013-05-30 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Theory Mathematical Physics math.MP Quantum Physics

Abstract

We consider the possibility that classical dynamical systems display motion in their lowest energy state, forming a time analogue of crystalline spatial order. Challenges facing that idea are identified and overcome. We display arbitrary orbits of an angular variable as lowest-energy trajectories for nonsingular Lagrangian systems. Dynamics within orbits of broken symmetry provide a natural arena for formation of time crystals. We exhibit models of that kind, including a model with traveling density waves.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1202.2537,
  title  = {Classical Time Crystals},
  author = {Alfred Shapere and Frank Wilczek},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1202.2537},
  year   = {2013}
}

Comments

5 pages, 1 figure

R2 v1 2026-06-21T20:18:14.148Z