Search for Dark Matter Scattering from Optically Levitated Nanoparticles

Abstract: The development of levitated optomechanics has enabled precise force sensors that operate in the quantum measurement regime, opening up unique opportunities to search for new physics whose weak interactions may have evaded existing sensors. We demonstrate the detection of impulsive forces acting on optically levitated nanoparticles, where the dominant noise source is provided by measurement backaction. Using these sensors, we search for momentum transfers that may originate from scattering of passing particle-like dark matter. For dark matter that couples to Standard Model neutrons via a generic long-range interaction, this search constrains a range of models in the mass range 1-$10^7~\mathrm{GeV/}c^2$, placing upper limits on single neutron coupling strength as low as $\leq 1 \times 10^{-7}$ at the 95% confidence level. We also demonstrate the ability of using the inherent directional sensitivity of these sensors to separate possible dark matter signals from backgrounds. Future extensions of the techniques developed here can enable searches for light dark matter and massive neutrinos that can reach sensitivity several orders of magnitude beyond existing searches.