Detection of Scalar Wave Dark Matter with a Levitated Superconductor

dc.contributor.authorMoutsis, Ioannis
dc.contributor.departmentChalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för fysiksv
dc.contributor.departmentChalmers University of Technology / Department of Physicsen
dc.contributor.examinerCatena, Riccardo
dc.contributor.supervisorCatena, Riccardo
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-25T08:38:44Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.submitted
dc.description.abstractThe nature of dark matter is one of the most elusive problems in modern physics. With varying candidates and a vast range of possible particle masses, there is still no direct evidence of dark matter through an experimental observation. In this thesis, the possibility of detecting dark matter in a laboratory setup is theoretically investigated. The candidate in question will be the scalar case of the wave-like dark matter, a particle dark matter that belongs in the ultralight mass spectrum. The proposal is that this type of dark matter can be described by a classical wave instead of a quantum field and will interact with neutrons in matter through a simple, linear, non-derivative term in the Lagrangian. This interaction would result in an sinusoidal force that can be detected in a proposed magnetically levitated superconductor experiment. The experimental setup is parametrized as a coupled harmonic oscillator system, where a vibrational shield is installed to minimize vibrational noise. Through stochastic modeling of vibrational noise and numerical methods such as Monte Carlo simulations, the motion of the target superconductor is studied. The end result of this analysis is the projected sensitivity of the proposed experiment, expressed as exclusion limits on the coupling strength as a function of dark matter mass. We conclude that in a two-stage model, with experimental parameters corresponding to a possible levitation experiment in Chalmers, the vibrational noise is identified as the dominant noise source, exceeding both thermal, imprecision and back-action noise due to the measurement device (SQUID), significantly limiting the sensitivity. For comparison, the minimum coupling per unit mass in an ideal case with linearly scaled down vibrational noise is also presented, along with an analytical sensitivity projection.
dc.identifier.coursecodeTIFX61
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12380/309667
dc.language.isoeng
dc.setspec.uppsokPhysicsChemistryMaths
dc.subjectwave dark matter
dc.subjectdark matter
dc.subjectmaglev
dc.subjectlevitated superconductor
dc.subjectscalar coupling
dc.subjectdirect detection
dc.subjectMonte Carlo
dc.titleDetection of Scalar Wave Dark Matter with a Levitated Superconductor
dc.type.degreeExamensarbete för masterexamensv
dc.type.degreeMaster's Thesisen
dc.type.uppsokH
local.programmePhysics (MPPHS), MSc

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