Dark Matter Detection: Challenges and Developments

Dear Colleagues,

Dark matter remains one of the greatest unsolved problems in contemporary physics, despite compelling evidence from galactic dynamics, gravitational lensing, the cosmic microwave background, and large-scale structure formation. Identifying its microscopic nature is a central objective of particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Although decades of experimental effort have significantly improved detection sensitivities, no conclusive signal has yet been observed, motivating the exploration of new theoretical scenarios and innovative detection technologies. This Topic aims to present recent advances in direct, indirect, and collider-based dark matter searches, together with developments in theoretical models and data-analysis techniques. Contributions addressing liquid noble-gas detectors, cryogenic and semiconductor technologies, quantum sensors, directional detection, and accelerator experiments are particularly encouraged, as are studies exploring light dark matter, axions, hidden-sector particles, and non-WIMP candidates. The Issue also welcomes interdisciplinary approaches involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, and multi-messenger astrophysics, which are becoming increasingly important for signal identification and background suppression. By bringing together experimentalists, observers, and theorists, this Topic seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of current challenges, highlight emerging detection strategies, and stimulate new ideas that may ultimately lead to the first unambiguous detection of dark matter and a deeper understanding of the fundamental constituents of the Universe.

Dr. Vlasios Petousis
Prof. Dr. Charalampos Moustakidis
Topic Editors