Search for Dark Photon Dark Matter with a Mass around 36.1 {\mu}eV Using a Frequency-tunable Cavity Controlled through a Coupled Superconducting Qubit

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel cavity-based search for dark photon dark matter around 36.1 microelectronvolts, utilizing a superconducting qubit for frequency tuning, achieving improved exclusion limits over previous cosmological constraints.

Contribution

Introduces a frequency-tunable cavity controlled by a superconducting qubit for dark matter searches, avoiding mechanical tuning issues and setting new exclusion limits.

Findings

No significant dark photon signal detected.

Set new upper limits on the kinetic mixing parameter.

Demonstrated a qubit-controlled tuning method for dark matter detection.

Abstract

We report the results of a search for dark photon dark matter using a cavity that employs a transmon qubit as a frequency tuner. The tuning mechanism utilizes the energy level shift arising from the mode mixing between the qubit and the cavity mode. This method is advantageous as it avoids the frictional heating and electromagnetic leakage associated with mechanical tuning. We searched for a dark matter signal in the mass range $36.132 - 36.179$ ${\mu}$eV and found no significant evidence. As a result, we set the exclusion limit on the kinetic mixing parameter down to approximately $5 \times 10^{-13}$, surpassing the existing limit set by cosmology.