Coherent collective response in many-qubit systems for dark matter detection

arXiv:2606.26736v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: We propose an array of Ramsey-type interferometers using $N$ superposition states, $(\vert 0 \rangle + \vert 1\rangle)^{\otimes N}$, as a sensor to detect wave-like dark matter. After exposure to the dark matter wave, which induces coherent qubit transitions, the signal is the imbalance between the numbers of 0 and 1 outcomes. The signal-to-noise ratio in this scheme is proportional to $N \alpha^2$, where $\alpha$ is the coupling of dark matter to the qubits, and thus the sensitivity to the coupling scales as $\delta \alpha \sim 1 / \sqrt{N}$. For comparison, in the detection scheme based on the Rabi-type transition, $\vert 0 \rangle \to \vert 1\rangle$, this scaling is achieved only when $N$ highly entangled qubits are used. Since the Ramsey-type measurement does not require entangled states, one can consider much larger $N$ by simply placing a large number of qubits within the de Broglie wavelength of the dark matter. We demonstrate that, using trapped-ion qubits in linear Paul traps as the sensor, the projected sensitivity to the coupling matches or surpasses existing laboratory, astrophysical, and cosmological bounds for $N \gtrsim 10^6$-$10^8$. We also evaluate its sensitivity to high-frequency gravitational waves. Our general framework should, in principle, be useful for other quantum sensing platforms.

Abstract:We propose an array of Ramsey-type interferometers using $N$ superposition states, $(\vert 0 \rangle + \vert 1\rangle)^{\otimes N}$, as a sensor to detect wave-like dark matter. After exposure to the dark matter wave, which induces coherent qubit transitions, the signal is the imbalance between the numbers of 0 and 1 outcomes. The signal-to-noise ratio in this scheme is proportional to $N \alpha^2$, where $\alpha$ is the coupling of dark matter to the qubits, and thus the sensitivity to the coupling scales as $\delta \alpha \sim 1 / \sqrt{N}$. For comparison, in the detection scheme based on the Rabi-type transition, $\vert 0 \rangle \to \vert 1\rangle$, this scaling is achieved only when $N$ highly entangled qubits are used. Since the Ramsey-type measurement does not require entangled states, one can consider much larger $N$ by simply placing a large number of qubits within the de Broglie wavelength of the dark matter. We demonstrate that, using trapped-ion qubits in linear Paul traps as the sensor, the projected sensitivity to the coupling matches or surpasses existing laboratory, astrophysical, and cosmological bounds for $N \gtrsim 10^6$-$10^8$. We also evaluate its sensitivity to high-frequency gravitational waves. Our general framework should, in principle, be useful for other quantum sensing platforms.

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph); General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc); Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

arXiv:2606.26736 [hep-ph]

(or arXiv:2606.26736v2 [hep-ph] for this version)

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Coherent collective response in many-qubit systems for dark matter detection

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