Project description
Developing novel levitated superconductor sensors to hunt for dark matter
Although astronomical observations confirm the effects of dark matter, few experiments are able to capture evidence of its existence. The ERC-funded MaglevHunt project reasons that magnetically levitated superconductors hold great promise in tracking dark matter since it gravitationally interacts with ordinary matter. As such, it aims to develop novel levitated superconductor sensors with exceptional sensitivities that can locate well-motivated dark matter candidates. The sensors, comprised of gram-scale superconducting particles securely confined within anti-Helmholtz-like magnetic traps, will enable precise measurements using superconducting quantum circuits. The mechanical sensors will be responsive to oscillatory forces produced by axion-like particles, dark photons and vector B-L dark matter, as well as to impulses caused by ultraheavy dark matter near the Planck mass.
Objective
Magnetically-levitated superconductors have strong potential to revolutionise inertial sensing and magnetic field sensing. In this project I will develop levitated superconductor sensors with unprecedented sensitivities, and use an array of these sensors to search for well-motivated dark matter candidates in unexplored parameter regimes.
The sensors will consist of gram-scale superconducting particles stably confined within anti-Helmholtz-like magnetic traps. I will precisely measure the motion of the levitated particles using superconducting quantum circuits. The particle motion will be highly isolated from unwanted effects of the surroundings, since the particles will levitate far from surfaces, in ultrahigh vacuum, at millikelvin temperatures, within nearly dissipationless traps. Passive and active vibration isolation will be used to mitigate vibrational noise, and magnetic shielding will diminish magnetic field noise. Furthermore, the sensor array will be configured to reject common noise.
The mechanical sensors will be sensitive to oscillatory forces caused by axion-like particles, dark photons and vector B-L dark matter. Additionally, they will be sensitive to impulses caused by ultraheavy dark matter near the Planck mass. The primary focus of this project is to hunt these diverse dark matter candidates. This project will also establish the groundwork for future searches with this innovative platform. In the long term, levitated superconductor sensors hold the potential to search for dark matter through its gravitational interaction with ordinary matter. Such a search would be able to conclusively probe the existence of dark matter near the Planck mass.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy astrophysics dark matter
- natural sciences physical sciences condensed matter physics solid-state physics
- natural sciences physical sciences quantum physics quantum optics
- natural sciences physical sciences electromagnetism and electronics superconductivity
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
T12 YN60 Cork
Ireland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.