arXiv subjects

Takeo Moroi

Publications and source records attributed to Takeo Moroi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Qubits for Dark Matter Hunting

An introductory review is provided for those who are interested in exploring applications of qubits and other quantum excitations to the detection of dark matter (and any other physics beyond the Standard Model). Topics covered include the fundamental properties of qubits, the excitation mechanism of qubits due to the electric field induced by dark matter (with attention to the effects of the coherence of dark matter), the dynamics of coupled qubit-cavity systems modeled by the Jaynes-Cummings framework, and the influence of noise and decoherence (especially Markovian noise described by the Lindblad equation). In addition, the article introduces essential concepts in quantum sensing, including the operator-sum representation and positive operator-valued measures, the Cram\'er-Rao bound, the standard quantum limit and the Heisenberg limit, and the potential enhancement of sensitivity to dark matter achievable with entangled states. Throughout, these topics are discussed with particular emphasis on their application to the detection of wave-like dark matter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Dark Photon Dark Matter from Quantum Fluctuations during Starobinsky Inflation

We present a detailed investigation of scenarios in which dark-photon dark matter is produced from quantum fluctuations during inflation. In particular, we focus on inflationary models that necessarily involve a Weyl transformation, dependent on the inflaton amplitude, in order to move to the Einstein frame. In such models, the kinetic function of the longitudinal mode of the dark photon varies throughout, and even after, the inflationary period. We show that this variation of the kinetic function has a substantial impact on the resulting relic abundance of dark photons. As a representative and phenomenologically important example, we analyze the Starobinsky inflation model, for which we perform an accurate computation of the relic dark-photon abundance. By imposing the relevant observational constraints, we find that, in order to reproduce the observed dark-matter density in the present Universe, the dark-photon mass must lie in the range $5.6 < m < 7.4\,\mu\mathrm{eV}$ within the framework considered in this work.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum Error Correction-like Noise Mitigation for Wave-like Dark Matter Searches with Quantum Sensors

We propose a quantum error correction-like noise mitigation protocol for enhancing the sensitivity of wave-like dark matter searches with quantum sensors. Our protocol uses multiple sensors to mitigate the noise affecting each sensor individually, allowing for the suppression of excitation noise that is parallel to the dark matter signal. We demonstrate that our protocol can improve the sensitivity to dark matter signals by a factor of $\sqrt{N}$, where $N$ is the number of sensors used, for small $N$. Furthermore, for sufficiently large $N$, we find that our protocol achieves the same performance as the standard quantum limit by the ideal measurement, which non-entangled sensors with parallel noise cannot reach due to the unknown phase of the dark matter field. Our work can be widely applied to various types of signals with unknown phases, and has the potential to enhance the sensitivity of quantum sensors such as arrays of resonant cavities.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Background Suppression in Quantum Sensing of Dark Matter via Collective Entangled-State Projection

We show that measuring dark matter signal by projecting quantum sensors in the collective excited state can highly suppress the non-collective noise background, hence improving the sensitivity significantly. We trace the evolution of the sensors' state in the presence of both dark matter effect and sensors' decoherence effects, optimizing the protocol execution time, and show that the suppression of background by a factor equal to the number of sensors is possible. This method does not require the entanglement of sensors during the signal accumulation time, hence circumventing the difficulty of maintaining the lifetime of the entangled state that is present in other enhancement proposals. This protocol is also general regarding the type of qubit sensors.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Detecting dark matter using optically trapped Rydberg atom tweezer arrays

A new scheme for detecting wave-like dark matter (DM) using Rydberg atoms is proposed. Recent advances in trapping and manipulating Rydberg atoms make it possible to use Rydberg atoms trapped in optical tweezer arrays for DM detection. We propose to prepare a large ensemble of Rydberg atoms and to observe the excitations between Rydberg states by the DM-induced effective electric field. A scan over DM mass is enabled with the use of the Zeeman and diamagnetic shifts of energy levels under an applied external magnetic field. Taking dark-photon DM as an example, we demonstrate that our proposed experiment can have high enough sensitivity to probe previously unexplored regions of the parameter space of dark-photon coupling strengths and masses.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Search for Dark Photon Dark Matter with a Mass around 36.1 {\mu}eV Using a Frequency-tunable Cavity Controlled through a Coupled Superconducting Qubit

We report the results of a search for dark photon dark matter using a cavity that employs a transmon qubit as a frequency tuner. The tuning mechanism utilizes the energy level shift arising from the mode mixing between the qubit and the cavity mode. This method is advantageous as it avoids the frictional heating and electromagnetic leakage associated with mechanical tuning. We searched for a dark matter signal in the mass range $36.132 - 36.179$ ${\mu}$eV and found no significant evidence. As a result, we set the exclusion limit on the kinetic mixing parameter down to approximately $5 \times 10^{-13}$, surpassing the existing limit set by cosmology.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Entanglement-enhanced AC magnetometry in the presence of Markovian noises

Entanglement is a resource to improve the sensitivity of quantum sensors. In an ideal case, using an entangled state as a probe to detect target fields, we can beat the standard quantum limit by which all classical sensors are bounded. However, since entanglement is fragile against decoherence, it is unclear whether entanglement-enhanced metrology is useful in a noisy environment. Its benefit is indeed limited when estimating the amplitude of DC magnetic fields under the effect of parallel Markovian decoherence, where the noise operator is parallel to the target field. In this paper, on the contrary, we show an advantage to using an entanglement over the classical strategy under the effect of parallel Markovian decoherence when we try to detect AC magnetic fields. We consider a scenario to induce a Rabi oscillation of the qubits with the target AC magnetic fields. Although we can, in principle, estimate the amplitude of the AC magnetic fields from the Rabi oscillation, the signal becomes weak if the qubit frequency is significantly detuned from the frequency of the AC magnetic field. We show that, by using the GHZ states, we can significantly enhance the signal of the detuned Rabi oscillation even under the effect of parallel Markovian decoherence. Our method is based on the fact that the interaction time between the GHZ states and AC magnetic fields scales as $1/L$ to mitigate the decoherence effect where $L$ is the number of qubits, which contributes to improving the bandwidth of the detectable frequencies of the AC magnetic fields. Our results open up the way for new applications of entanglement-enhanced AC magnetometry.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Non-thermal production of Higgsino dark matter by late-decaying scalar fields

We study the non-thermal production of the Higgsino dark matter (DM). Assuming that the lightest neutral Higgsino is the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) in minimal supersymmetric standard model, we calculate the relic abundance of the Higgsino LSP produced by the decay of late-decaying scalar field. In the calculation of the relic abundance, we have properly included the effects of coannihilation as well as the non-perturbative effect (known as the Sommerfeld effect). Contrary to the case of the thermal-relic scenario, in which the observed DM abundance is realized with the Higgsino mass of ~ 1.2 TeV, Higgsino DM is possible with lighter Higgsino mass as the reheating temperature becomes lower than the Higgsino mass. The reheating temperature relevant for realizing the correct DM density is presented as a funciton of the Higgsino mass.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

On the Metastability of Quantum Fields in Thermal Bath

We investigate the metastability of scalar fields in quantum field theories at finite temperature, focusing on a detailed understanding of the bounce solution. At finite temperature, the bounce solution depends on two variables: the Euclidean time $τ$ and the spatial radial distance $r$, and it is periodic in the $τ$ direction. We propose a novel method to determine the bounce that describes transitions in a thermal bath, suitable for numerical calculations. Two types of bounces exist for transitions in the thermal bath: $τ$-dependent and $τ$-independent bounces. We apply our method to compute these bounces in several models, including both thin-wall and thick-wall scenarios, to examine their properties. Specifically, we evaluate the critical temperature below which the $τ$-independent bounce becomes destabilized due to fluctuations, rendering it irrelevant. We demonstrate that in the thick-wall case, the $τ$-dependent bounce smoothly transitions into the $τ$-independent one as temperature increases, whereas in the thin-wall case, the transition between the two types of bounces is discontinuous.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Quantum Enhancement in Dark Matter Detection with Quantum Computation

We propose a novel method to significantly enhance the signal rate in qubit-based dark matter detection experiments with the help of quantum interference. Various quantum sensors possess ideal properties for detecting wave-like dark matter, and qubits, commonly employed in quantum computers, are excellent candidates for dark matter detectors. We demonstrate that, by designing an appropriate quantum circuit to manipulate the qubits, the signal rate scales proportionally to $n_{\rm q}^2$, with $n_{\rm q}$ being the number of sensor qubits, rather than linearly with $n_{\rm q}$. Consequently, in the dark matter detection with a substantial number of sensor qubits, a significant increase in the signal rate can be expected. We provide a specific example of a quantum circuit that achieves this enhancement by coherently combining the phase evolution in each individual qubit due to its interaction with dark matter. We also demonstrate that the circuit is fault tolerant to de-phasing noises, a critical quantum noise source in quantum computers. The enhancement mechanism proposed here is applicable to various modalities for quantum computers, provided that the quantum operations relevant to enhancing the dark matter signal can be applied to these devices.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Search for QCD axion dark matter with transmon qubits and quantum circuit

We propose a direct axion dark matter (DM) search using superconducting transmon qubits as quantum sensors. With an external magnetic field applied, axion DM generates an oscillating electric field which causes the excitation of the qubit; such an excitation can be regarded as a signal of the axion DM. We provide a theoretical consideration of the excitation process of the qubits taking into account the effects of the shielding cavity surrounding the qubits and estimate the signal rate for the axion DM detection. We also discuss the enhancement of the DM signal by using cavity resonance and entangled quantum sensors realized by a quantum circuit. Combining these two effects, we can reach the parameter region suggested by QCD axion models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Dark matter detection using nuclear magnetization in magnet with hyperfine interaction

We consider the possibility to detect cosmic light dark matter (DM), i.e., axions and dark photons, of mass $\sim 10^{-6}$ eV and $\sim 10^{-4}$ eV, by magnetic excitation in a magnet with strong hyperfine interaction. In particular, we consider a canted anti-ferromagnet, MnCO$_3$, as a concrete candidate material. With spin transfer between nuclear and electron spins allowed by the hyperfine interaction, nuclear spins become naturally highly polarized due to an effective (electron-spin-induced) magnetic field, and have long-range interactions with each other. The collective precession of nuclear spins, i.e., a nuclear magnon, can be generated by the DM field through the nucleon-DM interaction, while they are also sensitive to the electron-DM interaction through the electron-nuclear spin mixing. Compared with conventional nuclear-spin precession experiments, this system as a DM sensor is sensitive to higher frequency needing only a small static magnetic field applied. The system also has collective precession of electron spins, mixed with nuclear spins, as the additional channels that can be used for DM probes. We estimate the sensitivity under appropriate readout setups such as an inductive pick-up loop associated with an LC resonant circuit, or a photon cavity with a photon counting device. We show that this method covers an unexplored parameter region of light bosonic DM.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

State-of-the-Art Calculation of the Decay Rate of Electroweak Vacuum in Standard Model

The decay rate of the electroweak (EW) vacuum is calculated in the framework of the standard model (SM) of particle physics, using the recent progresses in the understanding of the decay rate of metastable vacuum in gauge theories. We give a manifestly gauge-invariant expression of the decay rate. We also perform a detailed numerical calculation of the decay rate. With the best-fit values of the SM parameters, we find that the decay rate of the EW vacuum per unit volume is about $10^{-577}\ {\rm Gyr^{-1}Gpc^{-3}}$; with the uncertainty in the top mass, the decay rate is estimated as $10^{-295}-10^{-1465}\ {\rm Gyr^{-1}Gpc^{-3}}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Detection of hidden photon dark matter using the direct excitation of transmon qubits

We propose a novel dark matter detection method utilizing the excitation of superconducting transmon qubits. Assuming the hidden photon dark matter of a mass of $O(10)\ μ{\rm eV}$, the classical wave-matter oscillation induces an effective ac electric field via the small kinetic mixing with the ordinary photon. This serves as a coherent drive field for a qubit when it is resonant, evolving it from the ground state towards the first-excited state. We evaluate the rate of such evolution and observable excitations in the measurements, as well as the search sensitivity to the hidden photon dark matter. For a selected mass, one can reach $ε\sim 10^{-12}-10^{-14}$ (where $ε$ is the kinetic mixing parameter of the hidden photon) with a single standard transmon qubit. A simple extension to the frequency-tunable SQUID-based transmon enables the mass scan to cover the whole $4-40\ μ{\rm eV}$ ($1-10$ GHz) range within a reasonable length of run time. The sensitivity scalability along the number of the qubits also makes it a promising platform in accord to the rapid evolution of the superconducting quantum computer technology.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Testing multi-field inflation with LiteBIRD

We investigate expected constraints on the primordial tensor power spectrum from the future cosmic microwave background polarization experiment LiteBIRD as a test of multi-field inflation. We argue that the measurements of the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the tensor spectral index, in combination with the constraints on the scalar spectral index from the Planck observation, are useful in testing multi-field inflation models. We also discuss implications for multi-field inflationary model building.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Search for WIMPs at future $μ^+μ^+$ colliders

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with electroweak charges, such as the wino and the Higgsino, stand out as natural candidates for dark matter in the universe. In this paper, we study the search for WIMPs at future multi-TeV $μ^+μ^+$ colliders. We investigate both the direct production search of WIMPs through the mono-muon channel and the indirect search through quantum corrections in elastic $μ^+μ^+$ Moller scattering. We find that the indirect search has an advantage over the direct search with sufficient luminosities, $\mathcal{O}(\text{ab}^{-1})$, and low systematic uncertainties, $\lesssim 0.3\,\%$. This advantage arises due to the weaker mass dependence observed in the indirect search in comparison to direct production methods. The advantage is further enhanced if the initial muon beams are polarized. Specifically, we demonstrate that the indirect search method can detect the thermal mass target for the wino and the Higgsino for $\sqrt{s} = 6\,\text{TeV}$ and $2\,\text{TeV}$ (with $\sqrt{s}$ being the center of mass energy), respectively, with $10\,\text{ab}^{-1}$, an $80\,\%$ polarized beam and an accuracy of $0.1\,\%$. Our findings illuminate the potential of future high-energy $μ^+μ^+$ colliders in advancing our understanding of dark matter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Stability of Electroweak Vacuum and Supersymmetric Contribution to Muon g-2

We study the stability of the electroweak vacuum in the supersymmetric (SUSY) standard model (SM), paying particular attention to its relation to the SUSY contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment $a_μ$. If the SUSY contribution to $a_μ$ is sizable, the electroweak vacuum may become unstable because of enhanced trilinear scalar interactions in particular when the sleptons are heavy. Consequently, assuming enhanced SUSY contribution to $a_μ$, an upper bound on the slepton masses is obtained. We give a detailed prescription to perform a full one-loop calculation of the decay rate of the electroweak vacuum for the case that the SUSY contribution to $a_μ$ is enhanced. We also give an upper bound on the slepton masses as a function of the SUSY contribution to $a_μ$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Instability of the Electroweak Vacuum in Starobinsky Inflation

We study the stability of the electroweak vacuum during and after the Starobinsky inflation, assuming the existence of the non-minimal Higgs coupling to the Ricci scalar. In the Starobinsky inflation, there exists $R^2$ term (with $R$ being the Ricci scalar), which modifies the evolution equation of the Higgs field. We consider the case that the non-minimal coupling is sizable so that the quantum fluctuation of the Higgs field is suppressed and that the Higgs amplitude is settled near the origin during the inflation. In such a case, the Higgs amplitude may be amplified in the preheating epoch after inflation because of the parametric resonance due to the non-minimal coupling. We perform a detailed analysis of the evolution of the Higgs field in the preheating epoch by a numerical lattice simulation and derive an upper bound on the non-minimal coupling constant $ξ$ in order to realize the electroweak vacuum in the present universe. We find that the upper bound on $ξ$ in the Starobinsky inflation model is more stringent than that in conventional inflation models without the $R^2$ term.

hep-ph↗