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Quantum Sensing for the Hidden Sector (QSHS)

隐藏领域的量子传感 (QSHS)

基本信息

批准号：
ST/T006145/1
负责人：
Edward Hardy
金额：
$ 27.9万
依托单位：
University of Liverpool
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2021 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FT006145%2F1
关键词：
Quantum Sensing Hidden Sector QSHS

项目摘要

Identifying the nature of the dark matter that dominates the mass distribution of galaxies and that plays a key role in our understanding of cosmology is a central unsolved problem of modern physics. Attention over the past 30+ years has focused on weakly interacting dark matter (WIMPs); however, a smaller but active community has been searching instead for 'hidden-sector' particles, including the 'QCD axion', using some of the world's most sensitive electronics. Axions were invoked to solve the so-called strong-CP problem, whereby the theory governing strong interactions is far more symmetric than our current theory, quantum chromodynamics, say it should be. But axions also turn out to be a natural candidate for the mysterious dark matter.Theory suggests that axions should be detectable through the tiny signals they emit, about a millionth of an attowatt, while traversing a microwave cavity in a strong magnetic field. These signals are at the limit of what can be detected using even cryogenically-cooled ultra-low-noise electronics, but in the past few years, rapid progress in developing newer and more sensitive quantum sensors, fueled by parallel research in quantum computing and measurement, has placed the detection of axions within our reach. The UK has considerable expertise in these new quantum devices, and this proposal aims to apply these pivotal new measurement technologies to the search for hidden sector particles.Our proposed search has two main parts. First, we have reached out to the world's most sensitive axion search experiment, ADMX, proposing to form a UK-USA collaboration. ADMX has welcomed this approach, and is keenly encouraging our participation. The UK will design and install a new axion detector inside the magnet and cryostat that ADMX already operate. Using this detector, we will search for axions in our Galaxy's dark matter halo in a previously unexplored mass range between 25 and 40 micro-electron volts. This range is well matched to indications from current theories of what the axion mass might be, although the possible range of masses is far larger, and so there is a great deal of ground to cover. The UK instrument will have at its heart one of our own superconducting quantum measurement technologies - a bolometric detector, a coherent parametric amplifier, a SQUID based amplifier, or a qubit based photon counting device. The technology to be used will be selected after extensive characterisation at participating institutes. The chosen technology will then be integrated into the ADMX instrument module, which will be characterised in a dedicated 10 mK cryostat at the University of Sheffield. This same cryostat will then double as the first target in the UK high-field low-temperature test facility that forms the second part of our proposal.Second, an internationally competitive UK effort in hidden sector physics needs a world class UK facility incorporating an extremely high field magnet: several times larger than those used for MRI imaging in health care. Such a magnet is necessary for axion searches, and axions are arguably the best motivated hidden sector dark matter candidate. The bore of the magnet needs to be very cold for the quantum electronics to work, about 10mK. We will partner with a national laboratory to build and operate a UK facility meeting these specifications. Many hidden sector search experiments could be housed in this facility, but the first one will be our own low-temperature quantum-spectrometer.Finally, to help maintain the UK's international prominence in fundamental physics, we must create a research community. Hidden sector physics is a rapidly growing subject, and the discovery of a whole new class of particles would drive particle physics into a new era, and quantum electronics into new applications and markets. We believe that the technology and techniques developed will have applications in areas as diverse as quantum computing, communications and radar.

确定支配星系质量分布并在我们理解宇宙学中起关键作用的暗物质的性质是现代物理学未解决的核心问题。在过去的30多年里，人们的注意力一直集中在弱相互作用暗物质（WIMPs）上;然而，一个较小但活跃的社区一直在寻找“隐藏扇区”粒子，包括“QCD轴子”，使用一些世界上最敏感的电子器件。轴子被用来解决所谓的强CP问题，即支配强相互作用的理论比我们目前的量子色动力学理论要对称得多。但是，轴子也是神秘的暗物质的天然候选者。理论表明，轴子应该可以通过它们在强磁场中穿过微波腔时发出的微小信号（约百万分之一阿托瓦）来检测。这些信号是在使用低温冷却超低噪声电子设备可以检测到的极限，但在过去的几年里，在量子计算和测量的并行研究的推动下，在开发更新和更灵敏的量子传感器方面取得了快速进展，使我们能够检测到轴子。英国在这些新的量子设备方面拥有相当多的专业知识，这项提议旨在将这些关键的新测量技术应用于寻找隐藏的扇形粒子。我们提出的搜索有两个主要部分。首先，我们已经接触到世界上最敏感的轴子搜索实验，ADMX，建议形成一个英国和美国的合作。ADMX欢迎这种方法，并强烈鼓励我们的参与。英国将在ADMX已经运行的磁体和低温恒温器内设计和安装一个新的轴子探测器。使用这个探测器，我们将在我们银河系的暗物质晕中寻找轴子，其质量范围在25到40微电子伏特之间。这个范围很好地符合当前理论对轴子质量可能是什么的指示，尽管可能的质量范围要大得多，因此有很大的范围要覆盖。英国仪器的核心将是我们自己的超导量子测量技术之一--测辐射热探测器、相干参量放大器、基于SQUID的放大器或基于量子比特的光子计数设备。将在参与研究所进行广泛的特性分析后选择使用的技术。然后，所选技术将被集成到ADMX仪器模块中，该模块将在谢菲尔德大学的专用10 mK低温恒温器中进行表征。这个低温恒温器将作为英国高场低温测试设施的第一个目标，这构成了我们提案的第二部分。第二，英国在隐藏部门物理学方面的国际竞争力需要一个世界级的英国设施，包括极高的磁场：比医疗保健中用于MRI成像的磁体大几倍。这样的磁铁是必要的轴子搜索，轴子可以说是最好的动机隐藏部门暗物质候选人。为了让量子电子器件工作，磁体的孔需要非常冷，大约10 mK。我们将与国家实验室合作，建设和运营符合这些规范的英国设施。许多隐藏扇区搜索实验可以在这个设施中进行，但第一个将是我们自己的低温量子光谱仪。最后，为了帮助保持英国在基础物理学方面的国际地位，我们必须建立一个研究社区。隐藏扇区物理学是一个快速发展的学科，发现一种全新的粒子将推动粒子物理学进入一个新时代，量子电子学将进入新的应用和市场。我们相信，所开发的技术将在量子计算、通信和雷达等不同领域得到应用。