Detecting Planck-Scale Dark Matter with Quantum Interference

Area of Science:

• Cosmology and astrophysics
• Particle physics
• Quantum mechanics

Background:

• The composition of dark matter, a major component of the universe, remains unknown despite substantial astronomical evidence of its gravitational influence.
• Current research explores various candidate particles, with a focus on those interacting primarily through gravity and possessing masses near the Planck scale.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the theoretical possibility of directly detecting dark matter particles.
• To propose a novel experimental approach for identifying dark matter candidates with specific interaction properties.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of gravity-mediated quantum phase shifts.
• Development of a detection protocol utilizing Josephson junctions, a sensitive quantum electronic device.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that quantum phase shifts can be sensitive to the gravitational effects of dark matter particles.
• Illustrated a feasible experimental protocol for direct detection using Josephson junctions.

Conclusions:

• Direct detection of dark matter particles, particularly those interacting gravitationally with Planck-scale masses, is theoretically possible.
• The proposed method offers a promising avenue for experimental investigation into the nature of dark matter.