A groundbreaking study published in Physical Review Letters (PRL) introduces an innovative technique for detecting potential light dark matter using laser interferometry to measure the oscillatory electric fields produced by these particles.
Various candidates for dark matter particles, such as WIMPs, axions (light dark matter particles), and the theoretical gravitino, are being explored. Light dark matter, particularly bosonic particles like the QCD axion, has garnered significant attention in recent years.
These particles typically have limited interactions with the standard model, making them difficult to detect. However, understanding their wave-like behavior and coherent nature at galactic scales can aid in the development of more effective experiments.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, introduces the Galactic Axion Laser Interferometer Leveraging Electro-Optics (GALILEO) as a novel approach to detect both axion and dark photon dark matter across a broad mass spectrum.
Lead researcher Reza Ebadi, a graduate student at the Quantum Technology Center (QTC) at the University of Maryland, discussed the research and their motivation for developing this new approach, stating, “While the standard model has successfully explained phenomena from sub-nuclear distances to the size of the universe, it is not a complete explanation of nature.”
2024-03-17 00:00:04
Source from phys.org