Prospects for relic neutrino detection using nuclear spin experiments

Abstract

Direct detection of the cosmic neutrino background (C$\nu$B) remains one of the most formidable experimental challenges in modern physics. In this work, we extend recent studies of C$\nu$B-induced coherent transitions in polarised nuclear spin ensembles. Adopting an open quantum system framework, we model coherent neutrino effects in large spin ensembles using a Lindblad master equation that also incorporates realistic experimental imperfections such as local dephasing and imperfect polarisation. We solve the Lindblad equation numerically by way of a fast and computationally inexpensive method that can be extended to an arbitrarily large number of spins. Using our numerical solutions, we forecast the sensitivities of future experiments such as CASPEr to the local C$\nu$B overdensity parameter $\delta_\nu$. Our findings indicate that a CASPEr-like experiment, though primarily aimed at axion dark matter search, could also constrain the C$\nu$B overdensity to $\delta_\nu \sim 10^{13}$ in configurations achievable by currently planned experimental efforts, and down to $\delta_\nu \sim 10^{11}$ in the most optimised scenario. While C$\nu$B detection remains out of reach in the foreseeable future, our results highlight the potential of using quantum sensing to probe fundamental physics.