Direct limits for scalar field dark matter from a gravitational-wave detector

Sander M. Vermeulen, Philip Relton, Hartmut Grote (), Vivien Raymond, Christoph Affeldt, Fabio Bergamin, Aparna Bisht, Marc Brinkmann, Karsten Danzmann, Suresh Doravari, Volker Kringel, James Lough, Harald Lück, Moritz Mehmet, Nikhil Mukund, Séverin Nadji, Emil Schreiber, Borja Sorazu, Kenneth A. Strain, Henning Vahlbruch, Michael Weinert, Benno Willke and Holger Wittel
Additional contact information
Sander M. Vermeulen: Cardiff University
Philip Relton: Cardiff University
Hartmut Grote: Cardiff University
Vivien Raymond: Cardiff University
Christoph Affeldt: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Fabio Bergamin: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Aparna Bisht: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Marc Brinkmann: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Karsten Danzmann: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Suresh Doravari: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Volker Kringel: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
James Lough: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Harald Lück: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Moritz Mehmet: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Nikhil Mukund: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Séverin Nadji: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Emil Schreiber: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Borja Sorazu: University of Glasgow
Kenneth A. Strain: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Henning Vahlbruch: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Michael Weinert: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Benno Willke: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover
Holger Wittel: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz University Hannover

Nature, 2021, vol. 600, issue 7889, 424-428

Abstract: Abstract The nature of dark matter remains unknown to date, although several candidate particles are being considered in a dynamically changing research landscape1. Scalar field dark matter is a prominent option that is being explored with precision instruments, such as atomic clocks and optical cavities2–8. Here we describe a direct search for scalar field dark matter using a gravitational-wave detector, which operates beyond the quantum shot-noise limit. We set new upper limits on the coupling constants of scalar field dark matter as a function of its mass, by excluding the presence of signals that would be produced through the direct coupling of this dark matter to the beam splitter of the GEO600 interferometer. These constraints improve on bounds from previous direct searches by more than six orders of magnitude and are, in some cases, more stringent than limits obtained in tests of the equivalence principle by up to four orders of magnitude. Our work demonstrates that scalar field dark matter can be investigated or constrained with direct searches using gravitational-wave detectors and highlights the potential of quantum-enhanced interferometry for dark matter detection.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04031-y

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