An international team of physicists, including Prof. Szymon Pustelny from the Jagiellonian University, has published groundbreaking results in the journal Nature that significantly advance experimental searches for dark matter, one of the most profound open questions in modern physics.
Dark matter is believed to account for approximately 85 percent of all matter in the Universe, yet it does not emit, absorb or reflect light, making it invisible to conventional astronomical observations. Its existence is inferred from its gravitational influence on galaxies and large-scale cosmic structures. Despite decades of intensive research, the fundamental nature of dark matter remains unknown.
One promising class of theoretical candidates are axions, extremely light, hypothetical particles that could form a pervasive dark matter field filling the Universe. Some theories predict that this field may contain topological defects, such as domain walls, which could leave detectable imprints when interacting with ordinary matter.
To test these hypotheses, the research team designed an innovative experiment using a network of ultra-sensitive quantum sensors, functioning as atomic-scale compasses. These instruments can detect minute changes in atomic spin orientation that could be caused by interactions with dark matter fields. Crucially, the sensors were distributed across multiple laboratories in China, separated by distances of over 300 kilometres, allowing scientists to search for correlated signals over large spatial scales.
During a month-long measurement campaign, no signals consistent with the presence of dark matter defects were observed. While this may sound disappointing, the outcome represents a major scientific success. The experiment achieved unprecedented sensitivity, improving constraints derived from cosmological observations by up to forty times. As a result, several theoretical models of dark matter were effectively ruled out, significantly narrowing the range of viable scenarios.
Beyond the immediate results, the study demonstrates the immense potential of quantum technologies in fundamental physics. The methods developed by the team pave the way for future experiments with expanded sensor networks and longer observation times, which could probe even subtler effects, including those potentially associated with dramatic cosmic events such as black hole mergers.
The research will continue within a broader international framework. Prof. Pustelny is currently developing this line of inquiry as part of a Polish–American collaboration supported by the Fulbright STEM Impact Award, strengthening Poland’s role in cutting-edge global research on the fundamental structure of the Universe.
The original content was published on the website: https://naukawpolsce.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C111559%2Cnature-naukowcy-coraz-precyzyjniej-badaja-ciemna-materie.html
