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This study presents results from the QUALIPHIDE experiment, which utilizes a 41-pixel array of microwave kinetic inductance detectors with an ultra-low 13 meV threshold to search for dark matter. While the primary physics goal is probing hidden photons and axions within high-energy physics, the core technological advancement lies in developing mature single-quantum cryogenic sensors capable of resolving minute energy deposits at the quantum limit. The work establishes new constraints on particle interactions while demonstrating a critical path forward for next-generation low-threshold detector arrays essential for rare event detection.
Dark matter searches with a 13 meV threshold superconducting sensor array
arXiv:2607.19319v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Many well-motivated dark matter models predict meV-scale energy deposits in interactions with terrestrial experiments, but this regime is challenging to probe due to a lack of mature single-quantum detectors. Here we report results from QUALIPHIDE (QUAntum LImited PHotons In the Dark Experiment), a cryogenic dark matter search using a $41$-pixel array of energy-resolving microwave kinetic inductance detectors with a $13$ meV threshold, simultaneously used to look for both conversion photons from THz wavelength hidden photon dark matter and phonons from particle-like light dark matter interactions. The experimental design, with on- and off-focus pixels for the hidden photon search, allows for a data-driven background model, giving the experiment discovery potential. A blind analysis of $22$ hours of data shows no significant excess, setting the strongest constraints on the hidden photon kinetic mixing parameter $\chi$ over the mass range of $13$-$90$ meV/$c^2$, reaching $1.5\times10^{-12}$ at $50$ meV/$c^2$. These data also yield among the first terrestrial limits on dark matter scattering off nuclei and electrons, down to $5$ MeV/$c^2$ and $20$ keV/$c^2$, respectively. The low threshold also enables future study of the low-energy excess limiting cryogenic detectors and, as we project, will allow for a terahertz-scale QCD axion search with a magnetic field.
Authors:Christopher Albert, Lanqing Yuan, Jacob Harris, Ritoban Basu Thakur, Andrew Bear, Karl K. Berggren, Christopher Cappiello, Christopher Curwen, Peter Day, Byeong H. Eom, Arjun Ghosh, William Ho, Nikita Klimovich, Henry G. LeDuc, Karthik Ramanathan, Alejandro Simon
Abstract:Many well-motivated dark matter models predict meV-scale energy deposits in interactions with terrestrial experiments, but this regime is challenging to probe due to a lack of mature single-quantum detectors. Here we report results from QUALIPHIDE (QUAntum LImited PHotons In the Dark Experiment), a cryogenic dark matter search using a $41$-pixel array of energy-resolving microwave kinetic inductance detectors with a $13$ meV threshold, simultaneously used to look for both conversion photons from THz wavelength hidden photon dark matter and phonons from particle-like light dark matter interactions. The experimental design, with on- and off-focus pixels for the hidden photon search, allows for a data-driven background model, giving the experiment discovery potential. A blind analysis of $22$ hours of data shows no significant excess, setting the strongest constraints on the hidden photon kinetic mixing parameter $\chi$ over the mass range of $13$-$90$ meV/$c^2$, reaching $1.5\times10^{-12}$ at $50$ meV/$c^2$. These data also yield among the first terrestrial limits on dark matter scattering off nuclei and electrons, down to $5$ MeV/$c^2$ and $20$ keV/$c^2$, respectively. The low threshold also enables future study of the low-energy excess limiting cryogenic detectors and, as we project, will allow for a terahertz-scale QCD axion search with a magnetic field.
High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex); Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
arXiv:2607.19319 [hep-ex]
(or arXiv:2607.19319v1 [hep-ex] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.19319 arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
Full text under the publisher's open licence · 266 words
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