We present a novel experimental approach to detect dark matter by probing Yukawa interactions, commonly referred to as a fifth force, between dark matter and baryonic matter. Our method involves optically levitating nanoparticles within a Bessel-Gaussian beam to detect minute forces exerted by potential dark matter interaction with test masses. The non-diffracting properties of Bessel-Gaussian beams, combined with feedback cooling techniques, provide exceptional sensitivity to small perturbations in the motion of the nanoparticles. This setup allows for precise control over trapping conditions and enhances the detection sensitivity to forces on the order of 10−18 N. We explore the parameter space of the Yukawa interaction, focusing on the coupling strength (α) and interaction range (λ), and discuss the potential of this experiment to place new constraints on dark matter couplings, complementing existing direct detection methods.
@article{arxiv.2410.21718,
title = {Detection of Dark Matter using levitated nanoparticles within a Bessel-Gaussian beam via Yukawa coupling},
author = {Iftekher S. Chowdhury and Binay Prakash Akhouri and Shah Haque and Martin H. Bacci and Eric Howard},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.21718},
year = {2024}
}