Coherent scattering of low mass dark matter from optically trapped sensors

Understand

We propose a search for low mass dark matter particles through momentum recoils caused by their scattering from trapped, nm-scale objects.

• Our projections show that even with a modest array of fg-mass sensors, parameter-space beyond the reach of existing experiments can be explored.
• The case of smaller, ag-mass sensors is also analyzed - where dark matter can coherently scatter from the entire sensor - enabling a large enhancement in the scattering cross-section relative to interactions with single nuclei.
• Large arrays of such sensors have the potential to explore new parameter space down to dark matter masses as low as 10 keV.