Xiao Mi and the Time Crystal

 

Dr. Xiao Mi is a researcher working for Google who explores applications of intermediate-scale quantum processors based on superconducting qubits. He graduated from Cornell University with an Engineering Physics major and works as a professor at Princeton University. What this means is that he is looking into a type of computation that works with quantum mechanics, in this case a quantum computer, using superconducting quantum bits (that can reach high speeds and can also be in two places at once) who if harnessed correctly, can be used to create computers that work very fast.  In 2021, him and his team at Google with Stanford scientists collaborated to work on creating the Time Crystal for quantum computing.

The Time Crystal is a structure that can repeat in time infinitely without any input in energy. A physical crystal that we see, such as a diamond, consists of physical structures that repeat to create a pointed form, but a Time Crystal can flip between its different areas in space to come back to one structure without loosing any energy. What this means is that the team has created a new phase of matter which was previously thought of as impossible. With the time crystal, the team can test their quantum computers to continue to recognize and detect new phases of matter on its own, which will further the understanding of quantum physics. The team as of now could only recognize and view a few hundred cycles of the time crystal, but will continue to work to try and view it indefinitely. 

Sources:

https://news.stanford.edu/2021/11/30/time-crystal-quantum-computer/