One-Electron Quantum Cyclotron as a Milli-eV Dark-Photon Detector

Area of Science:

• Experimental physics
• Particle astrophysics
• Quantum optics

Background:

• Dark matter constitutes a significant portion of the universe's mass.
• Dark photons are a compelling dark matter candidate in the meV mass range.
• Detecting meV dark matter requires highly sensitive experimental techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel method for detecting meV dark matter using trapped electrons.
• To establish new experimental constraints on dark photon dark matter properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing trapped electrons as high-Q resonators.
• Exploiting resonant excitation of electron cyclotron states by dark photons.
• Performing a background-free proof-of-principle measurement with a single electron.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a background-free detection method over a 7.4-day search.
• Set a new limit on dark photon dark matter at 148 GHz (0.6 meV).
• Achieved a 75-fold improvement over previous experimental constraints.

Conclusions:

• Trapped electrons offer a promising avenue for detecting meV dark photon dark matter.
• The proposed method has the potential to detect dark photon dark matter in the 0.1-1 meV mass range.
• Future apparatus designs could further enhance detection sensitivity.