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Physicists Unveil First Visible Time Crystal Breakthrough

9/15/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder created the first visible time crystal, reported in *Nature Materials* on September 4, 2025.
Unlike standard crystals, time crystals exhibit continuous, repeating patterns in time.
The breakthrough utilized liquid crystals and light to create long-lasting ripples.
This discovery may enhance anti-counterfeiting measures for high-value currency and improve data storage and encryption.
Researchers used polarized light microscopy to observe stable twisted formations, indicating unexplored application potential.

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Story summary

Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder created the first visible time crystal, reported in *Nature Materials* on September 4, 2025.
Unlike standard crystals, time crystals exhibit continuous, repeating patterns in time.
The breakthrough utilized liquid crystals and light to create long-lasting ripples.
This discovery may enhance anti-counterfeiting measures for high-value currency and improve data storage and encryption.
Researchers used polarized light microscopy to observe stable twisted formations, indicating unexplored application potential.