Precision sensing techniques borrowed from Quantum Information Science (QIS) have great promise for probing physical phenomena that span all four fundamental forces. Optical interferometry with squeezed light allows for increased detection range for gravitational waves. Electromagnetic receivers and nuclear spin detectors that reach or evade the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) offer improved sensitivity to electromagnetic and strong interactions with promising dark matter candidates. Finally, microwave detection at the SQL can probe the weak force by setting tighter limits on the mass of the neutrino in Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES) experiments.

 

In this talk, I’ll discuss my work developing quantum sensing techniques for DM Radio and CASPEr-Electric, which search for dark matter via electromagnetic and strong interactions, respectively. Early prototypes of DM Radio set the best limits on hidden photon dark matter candidates near 2neV, and future versions will explore large swathes of the QCD axion parameter space via quantum nondemolition, Backaction Evading (BAE) measurements. CASPEr-Electric searches for an axion-induced nuclear electric dipole moment, and the most recent iteration of the experiment has achieved quantum-limited readout of macroscopic ensembles of nuclear spins. Both experiments show the benefits of quantum-enhanced experiments, achieving competitive dark matter sensitivity using tabletop-scale apparatuses. Finally, I’ll discuss a possible route towards improving the sensitivity of CRES experiments by implementing superconducting parametric amplifiers for microwave readout. Achieving near-quantum-limited microwave readout in CRES experiments would improve their sensitivity to the neutrino mass by allowing better event reconstruction and detector calibration.