Speaker
Gerard Higgins
Description
We are developing ultra-precise mechanical sensors to search for dark matter in the laboratory. These
sensors consist of magnetically-levitated superconductors which are monitored
using superconducting quantum circuits to achieve exceptional sensitivity. In the
near term we plan to probe the existence of wavelike dark matter (e.g. vector B-L
dark matter) in unexplored parameter regimes. In the longer term we plan to use
an array of these sensors to hunt for ultraheavy Planck-mass dark matter particles,
which would impart gravitational impulses on the mechanical sensors. This
approach would open a new window onto the exploration of dark matter, since we
know that the gravitational interaction between dark matter and ordinary matter
exists.
