First Search for Ultralight Dark Matter Using Magnetically Levitated Particles

Researchers have conducted the first search for ultralight dark matter using a magnetically levitated particle, as detailed in a recent paper by Dorian W. P. Amaral, Dennis G. Uitenbroek, Tjerk H. Oosterkamp, and Christopher D. Tunnell. The study, titled "First Search for Ultralight Dark Matter Using a Magnetically Levitated Particle," was submitted on September 5, 2024, and is available on arXiv.

In this experiment, a sub-millimeter permanent magnet was levitated within a superconducting trap, achieving a force sensitivity of 0.2 fN/√Hz. The researchers reported no evidence of a signal for ultralight dark matter but established limits on its coupling to the difference between baryon and lepton number (B - L) within a specific mass range of (1.10360 - 1.10485) × 10^-13 eV/c². The most stringent limit on the coupling strength was found to be g_{B - L} ≤ 2.98 × 10^-21.

The authors proposed the POLONAISE experiment (Probing Oscillations using Levitated Objects for Novel Accelerometry in Searches of Exotic physics), which aims to enhance sensitivity across a broader mass range through a series of upgrades. This work highlights the potential of novel quantum sensing technologies in the ongoing search for dark matter, a fundamental component of the universe that remains largely unexplained.

The findings contribute to the understanding of dark matter and its interactions, which are crucial for advancing theoretical physics and cosmology. For further details, the paper can be accessed at arXiv:2409.03814.