Ultralight Dark Matter Search with Space-Time Separated Atomic Clocks and Cavities

authored by

Melina Filzinger, Ashlee R. Caddell, Dhruv Jani, Martin Steinel, Leonardo Giani, Nils Huntemann, Benjamin M. Roberts

Abstract

We devise and demonstrate a method to search for non-gravitational couplings of ultralight dark matter to standard model particles using space-time separated atomic clocks and cavity-stabilized lasers. By making use of space-time separated sensors, which probe different values of an oscillating dark matter field, we can search for couplings that cancel in typical local experiments. We demonstrate this method using existing data from a frequency comparison of lasers stabilized to two optical cavities connected via a 2220 km fiber link [Nat. Commun. 13, 212 (2022)]. The absence of significant oscillations in the data results in constraints on the coupling of scalar dark matter to electrons, d_me, for masses between 1e-19 eV and 2e-15 eV. These are the first constraints on d_me alone in this mass range, and improve the dark matter constraints on any scalar-Fermion coupling by up to two orders of magnitude.

External Organisation(s)

National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB)

Type

Preprint

Publication date

21.12.2023

Publication status

E-pub ahead of print