Advancements in Dark Matter Detection and Quantum Sensing

Scientists from King's College London have developed a groundbreaking sensor that levitates dozens of glass microparticles, potentially transforming the fields of dark matter detection and quantum sensing.

This innovative technology, published in the journal Nature Communications in 2025, utilizes a neuromorphic event-based camera inspired by human vision to track the motion of up to 100 floating particles.

Professor James Millen, Director of the King's Quantum research center, highlighted that this new approach allows for unprecedented accuracy in sensing, which could enhance the navigation systems in autonomous vehicles by detecting minute changes in acceleration.

The levitating sensors isolate small particles in a vacuum to observe their responses to external forces, achieving a higher degree of sensitivity than traditional methods. The design innovatively circumvents the historical limitation of tracking either a single object rapidly or multiple objects slowly, instead enabling the fast tracking of a collective cloud of particles.

The research team, including first author Dr. Yugang Ren, anticipates that these sensors could be integrated into computer chips within the next five to ten years, allowing applications in environmental monitoring and consumer electronics.

The low power consumption of both the imaging technology and the tracking algorithms they developed suggests scalability for the number of levitated particles, further enhancing their sensitivity. By cooling the microparticles to near absolute zero temperatures, the sensors could eliminate thermal noise and vibrations, achieving sensitivity unattainable by classical sensors.

This advancement opens new avenues for probing weak forces, such as those involved in dark matter detection and gravitational wave observation, positioning these sensors at the forefront of modern physics research.

The study signifies a pivotal moment in sensor technology, promising wide-ranging implications across various scientific and technological domains.