NIST researchers have developed a quantum sensor using a 2D crystal of 150 beryllium ions that could detect signals from dark matter. The sensor measures electric fields with unprecedented sensitivity by entangling the crystal’s mechanical motion and electronic spin properties. This quantum entanglement allows the sensor to detect minute vibrations caused by dark matter interactions.
The sensor could potentially detect dark matter particles like axions and hidden photons that interact with normal matter through weak electric fields. Current dark matter experiments use superconducting circuits, but this ion crystal approach offers sensitivity over a different range of frequencies.
The research team, led by NIST senior author John Bollinger, has been working on the ion crystal sensor for over a decade. The key innovation was using a specific type of laser light to entangle the crystal’s motion and spins, and applying a “time reversal” strategy to detect the results without destroying the quantum information.
The sensor’s sensitivity is 10 times greater than any previously demonstrated atomic sensor, allowing it to measure external electric fields with 240 nanovolts per meter in one second. Future improvements could increase the number of ions to 100,000, enhancing the sensor’s capabilities thirtyfold.
The research has significant implications for understanding dark matter, which makes up 85% of the universe’s matter but remains unknown. This quantum sensor could potentially help unveil the mystery of dark matter’s composition.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2021/08/nists-quantum-crystal-could-be-new-dark-matter-sensor
Keywords: dark matter, entanglement, ion crystal, quantum sensor, spin
