Mainz 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 84: Precision Spectroscopy of Atoms and Ions VI (joint session A/Q)
Q 84.3: Vortrag
Freitag, 6. März 2026, 15:00–15:15, N 3
Constraints on Ultra-Light Dark Matter from Networks of Optical Clocks and Cavities — •Luis Hellmich1,2, Ullrich Schwanke2, Cigdem Issever1,2, and Steven Worm1,2 — 1Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Zeuthen, Germany — 2Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Optical atomic clocks and cavities are high precision measurement devices, which are sensitive to variations of the fundamental constants. In this work, we are investigating the sensitivity of networks of optical clocks and cavities to variations of fundamental constants induced by ultra-light dark matter (ULDM). ULDM is expected to oscillate coherently on macroscopic length scales. We are exploring the possibility to detect such oscillations with a network of spatially separated frequency references in two complementary ways. On the one hand, the potential of an optical cavity network is studied. On the other hand, we are analyzing how daily and annual modulations of Earth’s movement through the dark matter halo can be used to constrain ULDM models. The proposed setups could detect frequencies in the sub-Hz regime, making it possible to constrain dark matter masses m ∼ 10−10 − 10−14 eV. We present projected limits on the scalar coupling to Standard Model particles for a few benchmark scenarios and compare them to existing constraints from equivalence principle tests.
Keywords: Variation of fundamental constants; Dark matter; Network; Optical cavities; Optical clocks