New constraints on axion-like dark matter using a Floquet quantum detector

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Cosmology
• Particle Physics

Background:

• Dark matter, a major cosmic component, interacts gravitationally but its fundamental nature remains unknown.
• Understanding dark matter's composition is crucial for advancing physics and cosmology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To search for nongravitational interactions of axion-like dark matter with atomic spins.
• To constrain the properties of ultralight dark matter particles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a precision quantum detector with spin-polarized xenon gas.
• Conducted a 5-month-long search for dark matter interactions within the galactic halo.
• Applied techniques sensitive to coherent interactions between dark matter and atomic spins.

Main Results:

• Established new limits on axion-like particle-neutron interactions for masses between 4 × 10^-15 and 4 × 10^-12 eV/c².
• Improved existing terrestrial bounds by up to 1000-fold for dark matter masses above 4 × 10^-13 eV/c².
• Set constraints on pseudoscalar dark matter models featuring quadratic coupling.

Conclusions:

• The NASDUCK collaboration's search provides significant constraints on ultralight dark matter models.
• This study advances the search for weakly interacting massive particles by exploring novel detection strategies.
• The results contribute to narrowing down the possibilities for dark matter's fundamental identity.