Search for Kilogram-scale Dark Matter with Precision Displacement Sensors

Abstract: The search for dark matter has been performed mainly for weakly interacting massive particles and massive compact halo objects, and the intermediate mass region has not been investigated experimentally. A method to search dark matter with precision displacement sensors is suggested for this mass range. The search is performed by detecting a characteristic motion of a test mass when it is attracted by a dark matter particle through gravity. Two different types of displacement sensors are examined: optically levitated microspheres and laser interferometers for gravitational wave detection. The state-of-the-art detectors' sensitivity is several orders of magnitude lower to put constraints on dark matter particles. Among the two types of detectors, gravitational wave detectors have higher sensitivities, and a sensitivity 10 times more than the next generation detector can potentially address the existence of dark matter particles of a few kilograms.