Ytterbium atom interferometry for dark matter searches

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the potential of ytterbium atom interferometers to detect various dark matter signals, showing they could significantly improve current limits across a broad mass range.

Contribution

It introduces novel methods using Yb atom interferometry for dark matter detection, surpassing existing experimental bounds in sensitivity.

Findings

Frequency ratio measurements could improve limits on fine-structure constant variations by 100 times.

Differential Yb isotope accelerometry could outperform MICROSCOPE in scalar and vector dark matter couplings.

MAGIS-100 could surpass previous bounds by factors of 10 or more in similar searches.

Abstract

We analyze the projected sensitivity of a laboratory-scale ytterbium atom interferometer to scalar, vector, and axion dark matter signals. A frequency ratio measurement between two transitions in $^{171}$Yb enables a search for variations of the fine-structure constant that could surpass existing limits by a factor of 100 in the mass range $10^{-22}$ eV to $10^{-16}$ eV. Differential accelerometry between Yb isotopes yields projected sensitivities to scalar and vector dark matter couplings that are stronger than the limits set by the MICROSCOPE equivalence principle test, and an analogous measurement in the MAGIS-100 long-baseline interferometer would be more sensitive than previous bounds by factors of 10 or more. A search for anomalous spin torque in MAGIS-100 is projected to reach similar sensitivity to atomic magnetometry experiments. We discuss strategies for mitigating the main systematic effects in each measurement. These results indicate that improved dark matter searches with Yb atom interferometry are technically feasible.