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New research published in the\u00a0American Physical Society\u00a0<\/a>on June 24 and led by Rice University physicist\u00a0Christopher Tunnell\u00a0<\/a>and postdoctoral researcher Dorian Amaral<\/a>, the study\u2019s first author and lead analyst, sees the first direct search for ultralight dark matter using a magnetically levitated particle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In collaboration with physicists from Leiden University, the team suspended a microscopic neodymium magnet inside a superconducting enclosure cooled to near absolute zero. The setup was designed to detect subtle oscillations believed to be caused by dark matter waves moving through Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur approach brings dark matter detection into a new realm,\u201d Tunnell said. \u201cBy suspending a tiny magnet in a frictionless environment, we\u2019re giving it the freedom to move if something nudges it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A new window into dark matter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The researchers monitored the levitated magnet with incredible precision, employing sensors capable of detecting movements smaller than the width of a hydrogen atom. Despite this sensitivity, they did not find evidence of the anticipated signal. However, this null result allowed physicists to rule out a specific interaction between dark matter and ordinary matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They focused on detecting forces arising from dark matter interactions that differ based on baryon and lepton numbers, or conserved quantum numbers in particle physics that remain constant in particle interactions, within a theoretical model known as B\u2212L. Their search targeted a narrow frequency band around 26.7 Hz, establishing new limits on the strength of these interactions and a new technology for dark matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery time we don\u2019t find dark matter, we refine the map,\u201d Tunnell said. \u201cIt is like searching for a lost key in your house \u2014 when you do not find it in one place, you know to look elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Path to Polonaise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Building on these findings, the research team proposed a next-generation experiment called Polonaise, aimed at enhancing sensitivity and expanding the search for dark matter. The name is a reference to the dance the physics professors performed when they met at a climate protest and realized this measurement was possible. This new setup will incorporate heavier magnets, more stable levitation, and broader frequency coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The experiment is designed to probe areas of the theoretical landscape that current detectors have not explored, seeking to identify ultra-weak forces in the most undisturbed environments possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur future setup won\u2019t just listen more closely; it\u2019ll be tuned to hear things we\u2019ve never even tried listening for,\u201d Tunnell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amaral, who last year worked with Mustafa Amin<\/a>, associate professor of physics and astronomy, to develop the theoretical underpinnings <\/a>of this measurement, highlighted the broader implications of this experimental work that is now possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re not just testing a theory, we\u2019re laying the groundwork for an entire class of measurements,\u201d Amaral said. \u201cMagnetic levitation gives us a fundamentally new tool to ask the universe big questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By achieving force sensitivity comparable to the weight of a single virus, the levitation platform opens new avenues for detecting weak, long-range forces. The research team, which included collaborators Dennis Uitenbroek and Tjerk Oosterkamp from Leiden University, was supported by the National Science Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dark matter, although invisible, is believed to comprise most of the universe’s total mass. One theory suggests that ultralight dark matter behaves like a continuous wave, which could exert rhythmic forces that are detectable only with ultra-sensitive quantum instrumentation. New research published in the\u00a0American Physical Society\u00a0on June 24 and led by Rice University physicist\u00a0Christopher Tunnell\u00a0and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[121,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-physics","category-space-news"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter.webp",1100,735,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-200x200.webp",200,200,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-675x451.webp",675,451,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-768x513.webp",750,501,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter.webp",750,501,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter.webp",1100,735,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter.webp",1100,735,false],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter.webp",1100,735,false],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-870x570.webp",870,570,true],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-600x735.webp",600,735,true],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-600x600.webp",600,600,true],"newspaper-x-single-post":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-760x490.webp",760,490,true],"newspaper-x-recent-post-big":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-550x360.webp",550,360,true],"newspaper-x-recent-post-list-image":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-95x65.webp",95,65,true],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-640x735.webp",640,735,true],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-96x96.webp",96,96,true],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ultralight-dark-matter-150x100.webp",150,100,true]},"author_info":{"info":["RevoScience"]},"category_info":"Physics<\/a> Space\/ AstroPhysics<\/a>","tag_info":"Space\/ AstroPhysics","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26742"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26747,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26742\/revisions\/26747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}