Achieving speedup in Dark Matter search experiments with a transmon-based NISQ algorithm

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum algorithm using superconducting qubits to significantly speed up dark matter detection experiments, reducing the required measurement time by up to ten times.

Contribution

It introduces an ancilla-assisted, gate-based protocol that improves sensitivity to hidden photon dark matter signals without complex multi-qubit entanglement.

Findings

Up to ten-fold reduction in integration time needed for detection.

Projected exclusion limit on hidden photon mixing parameter reaches ~10^{-14}.

Protocol remains compatible with current quantum hardware limitations.

Abstract

Coherent detection of ultralight bosonic dark matter can be achieved by monitoring slow Rabi oscillations in superconducting qubits. We introduce an ancilla-assisted, gate-based protocol that enhances sensitivity to the hidden photon kinetic mixing parameter $\epsilon$ using a single two-qubit gate, bypassing the need to maintain long-lived multi-qubit entangled states and remaining compatible with the limitations of modern quantum hardware. We characterized the increase in sensitivity accounting for decoherence, thermal occupation, errors in readout and reset, indicating up to a ten-fold reduction in the required integration time to reach the same exclusion limit on $\epsilon$ achievable via Rabi-sampling experiments. Under plausible hardware assumptions and three years of data taking, the projected $95\%$ C.L. exclusion limit on the hidden photon mixing parameter reaches $\epsilon\approx 1\times 10^{-14}$ across $2.5$-$6.0$ GHz ($10$-$25$ \textmu eV).