"Time, like an arrow, flies." This quote encapsulates the essence of time's unidirectional flow, yet in the realm of quantum physics, the concept of time reversal symmetry challenges this notion. This fundamental principle suggests that the laws of physics should remain unchanged if time were to run backward.
In 2025, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland made a groundbreaking discovery, demonstrating a violation of time reversal symmetry at the surface of the Kagome superconductor RbV₃Sb₅. This finding is particularly significant because it sets a new record for the temperature at which time reversal symmetry breaking is observed among Kagome systems. This achievement opens new avenues for the development of quantum technologies.
The implications of this discovery are vast. It provides a critical clue to the matter-antimatter asymmetry dilemma, which could help explain why the universe is dominated by matter. Furthermore, it may lead to the development of time-reversal lenses that can reconstruct past quantum states, with potential applications in quantum computing and error correction. This breakthrough underscores the ongoing quest to reconcile the reversible laws of physics with the irreversible nature of our experience.