Towards a discrete time crystal using ultracold atoms

This thesis provides a detailed account of the construction of an apparatus to create and experimentally investigate a new state of matter known as a time crystal. Time crystals are a quantum physics phenomenon that can emerge in driven many-body systems where the system reorganizes its motion with a period longer than that of the driving force. These systems have the potential to reveal novel condensed matter phenomena in the time domain. Practical applications of time crystals could include advancements in quantum information processing, highly sensitive magnetic sensors and atomic clocks.