Searching for Scalar Dark Matter via Coupling to Fundamental Constants with Photonic, Atomic and Mechanical Oscillators

Abstract

We present a way to search for light scalar dark matter (DM), seeking to exploit putative coupling between dark matter scalar fields and fundamental constants, by searching for frequency modulations in direct comparisons between frequency stable oscillators. Specifically we compare a Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator (CSO), Hydrogen Maser (HM) atomic oscillator and a bulk acoustic wave quartz oscillator (OCXO). This work includes the first calculation of the dependence of acoustic oscillators on variations of the fundamental constants, and demonstration that they can be a sensitive tool for scalar DM experiments. Results are presented based on 16 days of data in comparisons between the HM and OCXO, and 2 days of comparison between the OCXO and CSO. No evidence of oscillating fundamental constants consistent with a coupling to scalar dark matter is found, and instead limits on the strength of these couplings as a function of the dark matter mass are determined. We constrain the dimensionless coupling constant $d_e$ and combination $|d_{m_e}-d_g|$ across the mass band $4.4\times 10^{-19}\lesssim m_{\phi }\lesssim 6.8\times 10^{-14}\text{eV}{c}^{-2}$, with most sensitive limits $d_e\gtrsim 1.59\times 10^{-1}$, $|d_{m_e}-dg|\gtrsim 6.97\times 10^{-1}$. Notably, these limits do not rely on Maximum Reach Analysis (MRA), instead employing the more general coefficient separation technique. This experiment paves the way for future, highly sensitive experiments based on state-of-the-art acoustic oscillators, and we show that these limits can be competitive with the best current MRA-based exclusion limits.

arXiv comment10 pages, 6 figures

References in corpus (41)

• The String Dilaton and a Least Coupling Principle
• Mass models of the Milky Way
• Test of the Equivalence Principle Using a Rotating Torsion Balance
• A Search for Invisible Axion Dark Matter with the Axion Dark Matter Experiment
• Quintessence as a run-away dilaton
• Dielectric Haloscopes: A New Way to Detect Axion Dark Matter
• Searching for dilaton dark matter with atomic clocks
• CoGeNT: A Search for Low-Mass Dark Matter using p-type Point Contact Germanium Detectors
• Runaway dilaton and equivalence principle violations
• Invisible Axion Search Methods
• Results on light dark matter particles with a low-threshold CRESST-II detector
• AION: An Atom Interferometer Observatory and Network
• Results from phase 1 of the HAYSTAC microwave cavity axion experiment
• The ORGAN Experiment: An axion haloscope above 15 GHz
• A review of indirect searches for particle dark matter
• Equivalence Principle Violations and Couplings of a Light Dilaton
• Can dark matter induce cosmological evolution of the fundamental constants of Nature?
• Search for ultralight scalar dark matter with atomic spectroscopy
• Short-range tests of the equivalence principle
• Searching for dark matter and variation of fundamental constants with laser and maser interferometry
• Searching for an oscillating massive scalar field as a dark matter candidate using atomic hyperfine frequency comparisons
• MICROSCOPE mission: first constraints on the violation of the weak equivalence principle by a light scalar dilaton
• Violation of the equivalence principle from light scalar dark matter
• Limits on the temporal variation of the fine structure constant, quark masses and strong interaction from quasar absorption spectra and atomic clock experiments
• Enhanced effects of variation of the fundamental constants in laser interferometers and application to dark matter detection
• A search for low-mass WIMPs with EDELWEISS-II heat-and-ionization detectors
• Novel signatures of dark matter in laser-interferometric gravitational-wave detectors
• Extremely Low Loss Phonon-Trapping Cryogenic Acoustic Cavities for Future Physical Experiments
• Phenomenology of the Equivalence Principle with Light Scalars
• Ultra-low-phase-noise cryocooled microwave dielectric-sapphire-resonator oscillators with 1 x 10^-16 frequency instability
• Testing Local Lorentz and Position Invariance and Variation of Fundamental Constants by searching the Derivative of the Comparison Frequency Between a Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator and Hydrogen Maser
• Superconducting-Gravimeter Tests of Local Lorentz Invariance
• Lorentz Symmetry Violations from Matter-Gravity Couplings with Lunar Laser Ranging
• Searching for scalar dark matter with compact mechanical resonators
• Acoustic tests of Lorentz symmetry using quartz oscillators
• Testing local position and fundamental constant invariance due to periodic gravitation and boost using long-term comparison of the SYRTE atomic fountains and H-masers
• Material Size Dependence on Fundamental Constants
• Advances in Development of Quartz Crystal Oscillators at Liquid Helium Temperatures
• Next Generation of Phonon Tests of Lorentz Invariance using Quartz BAW Resonators
• Proposal for a New Test of the Time Independence Of The Fine Structure Constant, alpha, Using Orthogonally Polarised Whispering Gallery Modes in a Single Sapphire Resonator
• A Search for Halo Axions

Cited by in corpus (30)

• Search for oscillations of fundamental constants using molecular spectroscopy
• Search for ultralight dark matter with spectroscopy of radio-frequency atomic transitions
• Gravitational Focusing of Wave Dark Matter
• Searching for scalar field dark matter with LIGO
• Vibronic branching ratios for nearly-closed rapid photon cycling of SrOH
• Ultralight Dark Matter Search with Space-Time Separated Atomic Clocks and Cavities
• Gravitational wave probes of particle dark matter: a review
• Searching for Scalar Field Dark Matter using Cavity Resonators and Capacitors
• Limits on Dark Photons, Scalars, and Axion-Electromagnetodynamics with The ORGAN Experiment
• From axion quality and naturalness problems to a high-quality ${\mathbb{Z}}_N$ QCD relaxion
• The Multi-mode Acoustic Gravitational Wave Experiment: MAGE
• Searching for dark matter with the Th-229 nuclear lineshape from laser spectroscopy
• Noise Suppression with Cryogenic Resonators
• Prospects of nuclear-coupled-dark-matter detection via correlation spectroscopy of I${}_2^{+}$ and Ca${}^{+}$
• Improved constraints on minimum length models with a macroscopic low loss phonon cavity
• Bosenovae with Quadratically-Coupled Scalars in Quantum Sensing Experiments
• Detecting kHz gravitons from a neutron star merger with a multi-mode resonant mass detector
• On the sensitivity of nuclear clocks to new physics
• A Cryogenic Sapphire Resonator Oscillator with 1e-16 mid-term fractional frequency stability
• Scalar dark matter induced oscillation of permanent-magnet field
• Axion Bounds from Quantum Technology
• Electro-Mechanical Tuning of High-Q Bulk Acoustic Phonon Modes at Cryogenic Temperatures
• Multi-messenger astronomy in the new physics modality with GPS constellation
• Upconversion of Phonon Modes into Microwave Photons in a Lithium Niobate Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonator Coupled to a Microwave Cavity
• Limits on scalar dark matter interactions with particles other than the photon via loop corrections to the scalar-photon coupling
• Microwave Cavity Mode Optimisation by Background Anti-Resonance Tuning
• Improved bounds on ultralight scalar dark matter in the radio-frequency range
• Low Temperature Properties of Low-Loss Macroscopic Lithium Niobate Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators
• Constraining Light Scalar Field with Torsion-Balance Gravity Experiments
• INTEGRAL, eROSITA and Voyager Constraints on Light Bosonic Dark Matter: ALPs, Dark Photons, Scalars, $B-L$ and $L_i-L_j$ Vectors