Unravelling the Mystery of Dark Matter with Quantum Technology

have you ever wondered about dark matter and how it’s being explored using quantum technology? It’s a pretty fascinating topic that’s been puzzling scientists for a long time. Dark matter is this mysterious stuff that’s all around us, but we can’t see it because it doesn’t emit any light or electromagnetic radiation. But now, researchers are using quantum-based haloscopes to search for axions, which are believed to be the building blocks of dark matter. These tiny particles are so elusive that their existence has yet to be proven by experiment.

The European DarkQuantum project is at the forefront of this exploration, with Professor Wolfgang Wernsdorfer leading the charge. The project, funded by the European Research Council, aims to detect axions in the galactic halo using quantum technology combined with particle physics infrastructures at CERN and DESY. The plan is to build two quantum-based haloscopes that are incredibly sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, with much lower background noise than conventional technologies.

If the project succeeds in proving the existence of axions, it would be a game-changer in the world of physics. The implications of this discovery would profoundly change our understanding of reality. The project involves close cooperation between experts from various fields in physics, and it’s a collaborative effort involving eight European universities and research institutes. With a funding of 12.9 million euros, the DarkQuantum project is set to run for six years, and it’s an exciting journey into the unknown.