Dark graviton sensing with magnetically levitated superconductors

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Danieli, Valentina, Delgado, Paola C. M., Urban, Federico R.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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_version_ 1866908926097752064
author Danieli, Valentina
Delgado, Paola C. M.
Urban, Federico R.
author_facet Danieli, Valentina
Delgado, Paola C. M.
Urban, Federico R.
contents Levitated sensors have emerged as a new frontier to detect ultra-light dark matter such as axion-like particles and dark photons. In this work we study how a magnetically levitated superconductor responds to a spin-2 dark matter field, the dark graviton, in the dHz to kHz frequency range. To do so, we compute the forces that the dark graviton exerts on the superconductor, separately for matter and light couplings. The matter coupling produces a strain-like tidal acceleration between the superconductor and the readout pick-up loop in a way that is akin to a slow, continuous, massive gravitational wave. The light coupling instead induces an effective current that sources an oscillating magnetic field, thus driving the superdiamagnetic response of the superconductor. We find that, even with significant experimental improvements, the sensitivity reach for the matter coupling is not competitive with existing interferometers or fifth-force experiments. On the other hand, magnetically levitated superconductors could be among the most sensitive laboratory probes of the dark-graviton coupling to electromagnetism, especially at low frequencies, provided technical and readout noise can be kept under control.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_22647
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Dark graviton sensing with magnetically levitated superconductors
Danieli, Valentina
Delgado, Paola C. M.
Urban, Federico R.
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Experiment
Levitated sensors have emerged as a new frontier to detect ultra-light dark matter such as axion-like particles and dark photons. In this work we study how a magnetically levitated superconductor responds to a spin-2 dark matter field, the dark graviton, in the dHz to kHz frequency range. To do so, we compute the forces that the dark graviton exerts on the superconductor, separately for matter and light couplings. The matter coupling produces a strain-like tidal acceleration between the superconductor and the readout pick-up loop in a way that is akin to a slow, continuous, massive gravitational wave. The light coupling instead induces an effective current that sources an oscillating magnetic field, thus driving the superdiamagnetic response of the superconductor. We find that, even with significant experimental improvements, the sensitivity reach for the matter coupling is not competitive with existing interferometers or fifth-force experiments. On the other hand, magnetically levitated superconductors could be among the most sensitive laboratory probes of the dark-graviton coupling to electromagnetism, especially at low frequencies, provided technical and readout noise can be kept under control.
title Dark graviton sensing with magnetically levitated superconductors
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Experiment
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.22647