Searching for Ultralight Dark Matter with MOLeQuTE: a Massive Optically Levitated Quantum Tabletop Experiment

TL;DR

This paper proposes a tunable optically trapped sensor to detect ultralight dark matter-induced forces, demonstrating potential to surpass current limits and explore new parameter spaces with existing technology.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, high-mass optically trapped sensor design optimized for detecting feeble forces from ultralight dark matter, with a systematic analysis of quantum noise.

Findings

Potential to operate at the standard quantum limit with current technology.

Projected sensitivities could improve existing limits by several orders of magnitude.

Capable of exploring large, uncharted parameter space of vector B-L dark matter.

Abstract

Many well theoretically motivated models of ultralight dark matter are expected to give rise to feeble oscillatory forces on macroscopic objects. Optically trapped sensors have high force sensitivities but have remained relatively unexplored in this context. In this work we propose a new, tunable, optically trapped sensor specifically designed to detect such forces. Our design features a high-mass (mg) plate whose weight is supported by a vertical beam. We present the first systematic analysis and optimisation of quantum noises in optically trapped systems and show that our setup has the potential to operate at the standard quantum limit with current off-the-shelf technologies. We demonstrate that our sensor could offer unique access to large regions of uncharted parameter space of vector B-L dark matter, with projected sensitivities that could advance existing limits by several orders of magnitude over a broad range of frequencies.