Chronolith
The Discrete Time Crystal Physics
Size guide S–5XL · inches
Tap Chronolith every beat, and she answers every other beat.
The Physics
A discrete time crystal is a driven many-body quantum system that responds at twice the drive period: kicked every T, it repeats every 2T, and the rhythm stays stable even when the kicks are imperfect. It breaks the time-translation symmetry of the drive.
drive period T → response period 2T
- T: drive period (s)
- 2T: response period (s)
Frank Wilczek proposed time crystals in 2012; discrete time crystals were seen in 2017 with trapped ions and NV centres, and in 2021 on Google's Sycamore processor.
Honest caveat: Equilibrium time crystals are ruled out (Watanabe and Oshikawa, 2015), and this is not perpetual motion: it needs a drive.
On the shirt
Front: Chronolith, the pixel-art character, with the title. Back: the drive-and-response timing, the stability note, the no-go theorem and the 2012, 2017 and 2021 sources. Printed on a unisex tee.
Shipping calculated at checkout by destinationMade to order, ships in 2–5 business days
Details
Size & fitS–5XL
Unisex heavy cotton (Gildan 5000), classic fit.
| Size | Width | Length | Sleeve |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 18 | 28 | 15.1 |
| M | 20 | 29 | 16.5 |
| L | 22 | 30 | 18 |
| XL | 24 | 31 | 19.5 |
| 2XL | 26 | 32 | 21 |
| 3XL | 28 | 33 | 22.4 |
| 4XL | 30 | 34 | 23.7 |
| 5XL | 32 | 35 | 25 |
For scale: size M is 20 in (50.80 cm) wide, about 3.143 × 1034 Planck lengths (lP = 1.616255 × 10−35 m). A tape measure is quicker.
Measurements in inches, ±1.5 in tolerance.
ShippingBy destination
Shipping calculated at checkout by destination. Printed to order for you.
Returns & replacements21 days
Every item is printed to order, so we can’t accept returns or exchanges for change of mind, or if you ordered the wrong size or colour.
Print defect, misprint, damage or the wrong item? We’ll send a free replacement, or a refund if you prefer. Report it within 21 days of delivery with a photo; no need to send it back.
Field notes
View all-
What Are Neutrinos? The Ghost Particles That Pa...
Neutrinos are the most elusive particles we know of. Thousands of billions stream through your body every second without touching you. Pauli invented them in 1930 to save energy conservation,...
What Are Neutrinos? The Ghost Particles That Pa...
Neutrinos are the most elusive particles we know of. Thousands of billions stream through your body every second without touching you. Pauli invented them in 1930 to save energy conservation,...
-
Hideki Yukawa and the Meson: How a Force’s Rang...
In 1934 Hideki Yukawa asked why the force that holds the nucleus together reaches only about the width of a proton. His answer: a force carried by a particle with...
Hideki Yukawa and the Meson: How a Force’s Rang...
In 1934 Hideki Yukawa asked why the force that holds the nucleus together reaches only about the width of a proton. His answer: a force carried by a particle with...
-
The Ising Model Explained: How Tiny Arrows Expl...
The Ising model is the simplest picture of a magnet: a grid of arrows that can only point up or down, each wanting to match its neighbours. Heat scrambles them;...
The Ising Model Explained: How Tiny Arrows Expl...
The Ising model is the simplest picture of a magnet: a grid of arrows that can only point up or down, each wanting to match its neighbours. Heat scrambles them;...
