We propose a novel mechanism for photon-dark photon mass state oscillations mediated by gravitational separation during propagation through the interstellar medium. This phenomenon establishes a new avenue for the detection of dark matter. By analyzing gravitational lensing data from quasars, we investigate the sensitivity of this approach to dark photons. Our analysis demonstrates constraints ofϵ<10−2 in the dark photon mass range of 10−14eV. Furthermore, we propose potential applications of this mechanism to astrophysical systems with strong gravitational fields, such as neutron stars and black hole accretion disks.
@article{arxiv.2502.07450,
title = {Probing Dark Photons through Gravitational Decoupling of Mass-State Oscillations in Interstellar Media},
author = {Zhang Bo and Luo Cui-Bai},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2502.07450},
year = {2025}
}