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.