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The DarkQuantum consortium, consisting of global institutions, is embarking on an ambitious project to explore the mysteries of dark matter using quantum technologies. Scientists from Aalto University, in collaboration with other research institutions, will employ a highly sensitive quantum detector to search for evidence of the axion particle, a potential candidate for dark matter.

Dark matter, an unseen substance that is believed to be five times more abundant than regular matter, has remained a puzzle for physicists. While its presence can be inferred through its gravitational effects on galaxies, it has never been directly observed. The consortium aims to shed light on the nature of dark matter by detecting the elusive axion particle.

Aalto University researchers, led by Senior Lecturer and Docent Sorin Paraoanu and his Superconducting Qubits and Circuit QED (KVANTTI) research group, will contribute to the project by developing one of the world’s most sensitive detectors. Their sensor, known as a haloscope, will be capable of scanning the galactic halo for axions. This high-frequency sensor will utilize superconducting qubits, similar to those used in quantum computers, as detectors.

The research team plans to build two sensors, one of which will be located deep under the mountains in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory in Spain, while the other will be housed at the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg. Placing the sensors underground will help reduce cosmic background radiation and provide an opportunity to study noise reduction techniques for quantum computing.

The project, funded with €12.9 million from the European Research Council, will be conducted over a six-year period. It will involve a four-year scaling up phase for constructing and tuning the haloscopes, followed by a two-year experimental phase to gather data. The researchers expect to make significant discoveries about the composition and nature of dark matter, potentially on par with the significance of the discovery of the Higgs boson.

Sources: Aalto University, DarkQuantum consortium

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