In the realm of physics, dark matter has long posed a mystery to scientists. Despite being five times more prevalent than ordinary matter in the universe, its elusive nature makes detection challenging. Illinois Tech Assistant Professor of Physics Rakshya Khatiwada is addressing this challenge with a new project funded by a $750,000 grant from the United States Department of Energy.
Khatiwada's research is part of a broader initiative by the Department of Energy, which recently allocated $71 million for Quantum Information Science Enabled Discoveries for High Energy Physics. This funding supports 25 selected proposals that leverage quantum information science to advance fundamental physics discoveries.
Traditionally, dark matter searches have focused on detecting rare interactions with ordinary matter. These interactions can produce light flashes or lattice vibrations through nuclear or electronic excitations. However, Khatiwada explains that "for those excitations to occur, it typically requires much higher energy than just lattice vibrations in the atom."
Her approach involves using a sapphire crystal integrated into a qubit to detect minute lattice vibrations when dark matter interacts with it. The crystal's symmetrical atomic pattern can absorb energy and generate vibrations corresponding to dark matter signals. By observing how these vibrations affect qubit performance, Khatiwada aims to develop a highly sensitive detector.
The implications of her work extend beyond particle physics. "Quantum computers have the same architecture as the particle detector that I’m trying to build," says Khatiwada. Both systems use superconducting qubits and face challenges from background particles and radiation causing lattice vibrations that degrade performance.
Khatiwada hopes her project will offer insights into mitigating environmental noise affecting qubits. Her team at Illinois Tech and Fermilab is already simulating various qubit designs and measurement protocols to assess their effectiveness in sensing lattice vibrations.
This dual impact on particle physics and quantum computing excites Khatiwada: "The idea of sapphire being able to produce lattice vibrations with dark matter has been around for a few years... Now I get to really explore how far we can go."