Ultra-sensitive momentum detection using levitated microspheres

ORAL

Abstract

Searching for small momentum transfers to micron-scale sensors is a promising approach to search for dark matter and to enable spectroscopy of nuclear decays in small particles. Levitated sensors can minimize thermal noise and have been shown to reach acceleration sensitivity as low as ~100ng/sqrt(Hz). These sensors also allow the detection of small momentum impulses. Applications of these techniques will be described, including searches for asymmetric dark matter recoils from the optically trapped sensors, as well as the mechanical detection of single nuclear decays with a momentum threshold <50MeV/c.

*This work is supported, in part, by the Heising-Simons Foundation, NSF Grant PHY-1653232, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

–

Presenters

  • Jiaxiang Wang

    • Yale University

Authors

  • Jiaxiang Wang

    • Yale University

  • Fernando Monteiro

    • Yale University

  • Gadi Afek

    • Yale University

  • Benjamin Siegel

    • Yale University

  • Molly Watts

    • Yale University

  • Theophilus L Human

    • Yale University

  • Juan Recoaro

    • Yale University

  • Sarah Dickson

    • Yale University

  • David Moore

    • Yale University