Project Grant 2131402

This $320,779 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will fund research at the University of California, Riverside to demonstrate discrete time crystals in photonic chip-scale systems. The researchers will realize and study time crystals in silicon nitride microring resonators pumped by polychromatic lasers. They will control the state of created time crystals and enable transitions between different phases using frequency modulation and sweeps. Stabilization of time crystals will be achieved through self-injection locking of lasers to optical modes in the microring resonator. The system can be used for frequency reference transfer by locking pumps to external references. This work aims to advance the investigation of time crystals as a new phase of matter and reveal practical applications by combining photonics and condensed matter physics concepts. The award period is from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025.