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Universe
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Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter: Theoretical Developments and Experimental Searches
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Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter: Theoretical Developments and Experimental Searches

A Special Issue of Universe (ISSN 2218-1997).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2026) | Viewed by 3857

Editors

Prof. Dr. Dmitry Budker

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
2. Helmholtz Institute Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
3. GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
4. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7300, USA
Interests: fundamental physics; magnetometry; dark matter; magnetic resonance
Dr. Hendrik Bekker

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Helmholtz Institute Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
2. GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: dark matter; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; atomic physics; highly charged ions; atomic spectroscopy
Dr. Alexander Sushkov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Interests: quantum tool development
Dr. Arne Wickenbrock

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
2. Helmholtz Institute Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
3. GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
Interests: dark matter; optics; nonlinear optics; experimental physics; optical physics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Axions are a leading candidate for ultralight bosonic dark matter and potentially hold the key to understanding CP violation and the universe's baryon asymmetry. Axion physics is a vibrant field, rich in theoretical ideas and experimental approaches, spanning observational cosmology to tabletop searches for exotic spin-dependent forces. This Special Issue compiles reviews and original research contributions in contemporary axion physics, dedicated to Profs. Derek F. Jackson Kimball and Jason E. Stalnaker, pioneers in axion research, on the occasion of their 50th anniversaries.

Prof. Dr. Dmitry Budker
Dr. Hendrik Bekker
Dr. Alexander Sushkov
Dr. Arne Wickenbrock
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Universe is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dark matter
  • exotic spin-dependent interactions
  • sensor networks
  • axion quark nuggets
  • Aharonov–Casher effect
  • nuclear spin hyperpolarization

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

28 pages, 2428 KB  
Article
UPLOAD-HELIX: A High-Helicity Single-Mode Microwave Haloscope with Low-Noise Interferometric Readout for Ultralight Axion Dark Matter
by Robert C. Crew, Emma C. I. Paterson, Maxim Goryachev, Eugene N. Ivanov, Pashupati Dhakal, Tugrul Talha Ersoz, Michael E. Tobar and Jeremy F. Bourhill
Universe 2026, 12(9), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe12090278 - 11 Sep 2026
Viewed by 160
Abstract
We propose a superconducting single-mode microwave haloscope based on chiral cavity resonators for the detection of ultralight dark matter axions over the mass range 4 × 10−19–4 × 10−14 eV. Building on the single-mode chiral-cavity haloscope for detecting ultra light [...] Read more.
We propose a superconducting single-mode microwave haloscope based on chiral cavity resonators for the detection of ultralight dark matter axions over the mass range 4 × 10−19–4 × 10−14 eV. Building on the single-mode chiral-cavity haloscope for detecting ultra light dark matter (ULDM) axions we develop a resonator geometry compatible with subtractive manufacturing from high-purity bulk niobium, taking advantage of the substantially lower surface resistance achievable relative to the additively manufactured Möbius cavity proposed in the earlier work. An inverse-design framework is then used to maximise a figure of merit derived to minimise the measurement time required to achieve a fixed experimental sensitivity. The resulting optimised bulk-niobium design achieves a figure of merit more than three orders of magnitude larger than the additively manufactured Möbius benchmark. An experimentally informed microwave interferometric readout model incorporating measured electronics noise and active suppression of pump amplitude noise is used to project the sensitivity of the proposed experiment. For an acquisition time of three months, the haloscope is projected to reach gaγγ < 10−11 GeV−1 across more than four orders of magnitude in axion mass. The projected sensitivity extends approximately one order of magnitude below the current exclusion limits set by CAST, providing a practical pathway towards a high-sensitivity direct search for ultralight dark matter axions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter: Theoretical Developments and Experimental Searches)
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10 pages, 606 KB  
Article
Nuclear Spin Oscillator Based on 3He to Search for Exotic Spin Coupling
by Heather R. Pearson, Anna Molodtsova, Sage C. Weisrock, Sherlock Tingrui Zhao and Jason E. Stalnaker
Universe 2026, 12(8), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe12080243 - 13 Aug 2026
Viewed by 225
Abstract
We describe an experimental investigation of a nuclear spin oscillator based on 3He nuclei as a possible detector to search for exotic spin couplings. A magnetically shielded vapor cell comprising an alkali atom mixture (95% potassium and 5% rubidium) [...] Read more.
We describe an experimental investigation of a nuclear spin oscillator based on 3He nuclei as a possible detector to search for exotic spin couplings. A magnetically shielded vapor cell comprising an alkali atom mixture (95% potassium and 5% rubidium) and 3He gas is polarized via laser light resonant with the D1 transition in rubidium in the presence of a dc magnetic field. The potassium atoms and 3He nuclei are polarized via spin-exchange collisions with the polarized rubidium atoms. The nuclear spins are tipped with a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the dc magnetic field. The resulting Larmor precession of the 3He nuclear spins is monitored via Faraday rotation of laser light near resonant with the D1 transition in potassium. The Faraday rotation signal is filtered, amplified, and used to apply a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the dc magnetic field, resulting in a self-sustained oscillation of the nuclear spins at a frequency that is directly proportional to the dc magnetic field. We demonstrate a sensitivity to exotic spin couplings that is ≈5 times higher than the alkali atom magnetometers that have been used in the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers to Search for Exotic Physics collaboration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter: Theoretical Developments and Experimental Searches)
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Review

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22 pages, 2656 KB  
Review
Earth as a Transducer for the Detection of Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter
by Saarik Kalia and Ibrahim A. Sulai
Universe 2026, 12(8), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe12080236 - 6 Aug 2026
Viewed by 350
Abstract
Ultralight bosonic dark matter (UBDM) that couples to electromagnetism can generate an oscillating magnetic-field signal at the Earth’s surface. This is referred to as the “Earth transducer” effect, as the Earth converts UBDM into a detectable magnetic field. Similar DM-induced fields in laboratory [...] Read more.
Ultralight bosonic dark matter (UBDM) that couples to electromagnetism can generate an oscillating magnetic-field signal at the Earth’s surface. This is referred to as the “Earth transducer” effect, as the Earth converts UBDM into a detectable magnetic field. Similar DM-induced fields in laboratory experiments typically scale with the size L of the experiment. Because the Earth transducer signal instead scales with the large radius of the Earth, R, it is one of the most powerful direct probes of UBDM with masses mDM≲1/R∼3×10−14eV. It has many other favorable properties, such as high spatial and temporal coherence and robustness to atmospheric modeling. In this review, we derive the Earth transducer effect and its properties for multiple UBDM models, and we discuss current and future prospects to detect it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter: Theoretical Developments and Experimental Searches)
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44 pages, 6786 KB  
Review
Cavity, Lumped Circuit, and Spin-Based Detection of Axion Dark Matter: Differences and Similarities
by Deniz Aybas, Hendrik Bekker, Dmitry Budker, Wei Ji, On Kim, Younggeun Kim, Derek F. Jackson Kimball, Jia Liu, Xiaolin Ma, Chiara P. Salemi, Yannis K. Semertzidis, Alexander O. Sushkov, Kai Wei, Arne Wickenbrock and Yuzhe Zhang
Universe 2026, 12(4), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe12040106 - 3 Apr 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1950
Abstract
Axions and axion-like particles are compelling candidates for ultralight bosonic dark matter, forming coherent oscillating fields that can be probed by experiments known as haloscopes. A broad range of haloscope concepts has been developed, including resonant cavity haloscopes, lumped-element circuit detectors, and spin-based [...] Read more.
Axions and axion-like particles are compelling candidates for ultralight bosonic dark matter, forming coherent oscillating fields that can be probed by experiments known as haloscopes. A broad range of haloscope concepts has been developed, including resonant cavity haloscopes, lumped-element circuit detectors, and spin-based experiments, each sensitive to different axion couplings and mass ranges. Rather than attempting an exhaustive survey of all existing approaches, this comparative review provides a unified framework for the major haloscope classes, establishing a common language for the descriptions of signal generation, noise properties, analytical methodologies, and scanning strategies. Key properties of ultralight bosonic dark matter relevant for detection are summarized first, including coherence time, spectral linewidth, and stochasticity under the standard halo model. The discussion then compares cavity, Earth-scale, lumped-element, and spin haloscopes, focusing on expected signal shapes, dominant noise sources, and statistical frameworks for axion searches. Particular emphasis is placed on consistent definitions of signal-to-noise ratio and on how detector bandwidth, axion coherence, and noise characteristics determine optimal scan strategies. By systematically comparing operating principles and performance metrics across these detector families, this framework clarifies shared concepts as well as the essential differences that govern sensitivity in different mass and coupling regimes. The resulting perspective synthesizes current search methodologies and offers guidance for optimizing future haloscope experiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter: Theoretical Developments and Experimental Searches)
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