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Frequency Comb Behavior of Time Crystals in an RF-Driven Dissipative Rydberg System

Published by National Institute of Standards and Technology | National Institute of Standards and Technology | Catalog Last Checked: September 02, 2026 at 07:19 PM | Dataset Last Updated: March 09, 2026
Driven nonlinear oscillators constitute a universal paradigm for understanding synchronization, frequency pulling, and frequency comb formation in nonequilibrium systems. Here, we realize such an emergent nonlinear oscillator in strongly interacting cesium Rydberg vapor, where coherent optical excitation, dissipation, and long-range interactions give rise to a driven-dissipative time crystal phase with intrinsic oscillation frequencies. Applying a radio-frequency (RF) field allows controlled tuning of the intrinsic oscillation frequency. Under RF heterodyne conditions, we observe intermodulation, frequency pulling, and, at strong drive, the emergence of a comb-like spectrum in the atomic coherence. We qualitatively capture these observations using a four-level mean-field model and demonstrate a classical analogue with a driven Van der Pol oscillator. Our results establish interacting Rydberg ensembles as a tunable platform for exploring nonequilibrium time crystalline order, nonlinear synchronization, and frequency comb generation in many-body atomic systems.

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Complete Metadata
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accessLevel public
accrualPeriodicity irregular
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contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "Dixith Manchaiah",
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description Driven nonlinear oscillators constitute a universal paradigm for understanding synchronization, frequency pulling, and frequency comb formation in nonequilibrium systems. Here, we realize such an emergent nonlinear oscillator in strongly interacting cesium Rydberg vapor, where coherent optical excitation, dissipation, and long-range interactions give rise to a driven-dissipative time crystal phase with intrinsic oscillation frequencies. Applying a radio-frequency (RF) field allows controlled tuning of the intrinsic oscillation frequency. Under RF heterodyne conditions, we observe intermodulation, frequency pulling, and, at strong drive, the emergence of a comb-like spectrum in the atomic coherence. We qualitatively capture these observations using a four-level mean-field model and demonstrate a classical analogue with a driven Van der Pol oscillator. Our results establish interacting Rydberg ensembles as a tunable platform for exploring nonequilibrium time crystalline order, nonlinear synchronization, and frequency comb generation in many-body atomic systems.
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identifier ark:/88434/mds2-4131
issued 2026-07-23
keyword 
[
  "RF heterodyne",
  "Rydberg atoms",
  "Self sustained oscillations",
  "Time crystals"
]
landingPage https://data.nist.gov/od/id/mds2-4131
language 
[
  "en"
]
license https://www.nist.gov/open/license
modified 2026-03-09 00:00:00
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{
  "name": "National Institute of Standards and Technology",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
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theme 
[
  "Physics:Atomic, molecular, and quantum",
  "Physics:Optical physics",
  "Physics:Spectroscopy"
]
title Frequency Comb Behavior of Time Crystals in an RF-Driven Dissipative Rydberg System

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