arXiv subjects

Yanjie Zeng

Publications and source records attributed to Yanjie Zeng.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Characterizing charge-parity detection based on an offset-charge-tunable transmon qubit via randomized benchmarking

Superconducting qubits are compelling platforms for charge-parity detection and, due to their theoretical sensitivity on the meV energy scale, hold promise for rare event searches. In this work, we realize high-fidelity mapping of charge-parity states onto qubit states using an offset-charge-tunable transmon qubit and efficiently characterize the fidelity of the charge-parity detection via randomized benchmarking. Specifically, a gate control line is applied to control offset charge, allowing us to achieve the single-qubit gate fidelity up to 99.96%. We combine a net-zero-based pulse on the gate line with a spin-echo-based sequence to realize charge-parity mapping, achieving a fidelity of 99.37%. Then, we demonstrate continuous monitoring of the charge-parity state with over 93.4% fidelity at a 4-\mu s sampling interval. Finally, an error analysis of charge-parity detection is performed, and it is found that qubit readout is currently the largest source of error. We believe this work lays the foundation for future exploration of ultra-low energy particles.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum-Enhanced Dark Matter Search Using Cat States

Quantum metrology has recently emerged as a powerful approach for dark matter (DM) searches, particularly using nonclassical bosonic states in microwave cavities that are sensitive to weak signals. Nonclassical cat states - macroscopic superpositions of coherent states featuring sub-Planck interference structures - offer promising advantages for high-precision measurements. However, their practical utility in DM search remains unexplored. Here, we report the first experimental application of four-component cat states within a high-quality superconducting microwave cavity to search for dark photons, a potential DM candidate. We demonstrate an 8.1-fold enhancement in the signal photon rate and constrain the dark photon kinetic mixing angle to an unprecedented $\epsilon < 7.32 \times 10^{-16}$ near 6.44~GHz (26.6~$\mu$eV). By employing a parametric sideband drive to actively tune the cavity frequency, we achieve dark photon searches and background subtraction across multiple frequency bins, yielding a sensitivity at the $10^{-16}$ level within a 100~kHz bandwidth. Our cat-assisted DM (CaD) search and frequency-scanning techniques demonstrate substantial improvements over previous results, promising potential implications in quantum-enhanced searches for new physics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Identifying the Quadrupolar Nature of Gravitational Wave Background through Space-based Missions

The stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) consists of an incoherent collection of waves from both astrophysical and cosmological sources. To distinguish the SGWB from noise, it is essential to verify its quadrupolar nature, exemplified by the cross-correlations among pairs of pulsars within a pulsar timing array, commonly referred to as the Hellings-Downs curve. We study how this quadrupolar signature manifests in correlations between general GW detector pairs, characterized by their antenna responses. Focusing on space-based missions including laser interferometers (LISA, Taiji, TianQin) and atom interferometers (AEDGE/MAGIS), we demonstrate how orbital motion dynamically modulates detector correlations through time-dependent separations and relative orientation shifts. These modulations encode unique statistical features that serve as definitive markers of the SGWB's quadrupolar nature. Our findings identify optimal configurations for these missions, offer forecasts for the time needed to identify the quadrupolar nature of the SGWB, and are applicable to both space-space and space-terrestrial correlations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

First Scan Search for Dark Photon Dark Matter with a Tunable Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavity

Dark photons have emerged as promising candidates for dark matter, and their search is a top priority in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. We report the first use of a tunable niobium superconducting radio-frequency cavity for a scan search of dark photon dark matter with innovative data analysis techniques. We mechanically adjusted the resonant frequency of a cavity submerged in liquid helium at a temperature of $2$ K, and scanned the dark photon mass over a frequency range of $1.37$ MHz centered at $1.3$ GHz. Our study leveraged the superconducting radio-frequency cavity's remarkably high quality factors of approximately $10^{10}$, resulting in the most stringent constraints to date on a substantial portion of the exclusion parameter space on the kinetic mixing coefficient $ε$ between dark photons and electromagnetic photons, yielding a value of $ε< 2.2 \times 10^{-16}$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Illuminating Black Hole Shadow with Dark Matter Annihilation

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has significantly advanced our ability to study black holes, achieving unprecedented spatial resolution and revealing horizon-scale structures. Notably, these observations feature a distinctive dark shadow--primarily arising from faint jet emissions--surrounded by a bright photon ring. Anticipated upgrades of the EHT promise substantial improvements in dynamic range, enabling deeper exploration of low-background regions, particularly the inner shadow defined by the lensed equatorial horizon. Our analysis shows that observations of these regions transform supermassive black holes into powerful probes for annihilating dark matter, which is expected to accumulate densely in their vicinity. By analyzing the black hole image morphology and performing electron-positron propagation calculations in realistic plasma backgrounds derived from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we set stringent constraints on dark matter annihilation, requiring contributions below the astrophysical emission. These constraints, derived from both current EHT observations and projections for future upgraded arrays, exclude a substantial region of previously unexplored parameter space and remain robust against astrophysical uncertainties, including black hole spin and plasma temperature variations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Cavity as Radio Telescope for Galactic Dark Photon

Dark photons, as a minimal extension of the Standard Model through an additional Abelian gauge group, may propagate relativistically across the galaxy, originating from dark matter decay or annihilation, thereby contributing to a galactic dark photon background. The generation of dark photons typically favors certain polarization modes, which are dependent on the interactions between dark matter and dark photons. We introduce a framework in which a resonant cavity is utilized to detect and differentiate these polarizations, leveraging the daily variation in expected signals due to the anisotropic distribution of dark photons and the rotation of the Earth. We conduct an experimental search using superconducting radio-frequency cavities, noted for their exceptionally high quality factors, proving them to be effective telescopes for observing galactic dark photons. This approach establishes the most stringent limits yet on the kinetic mixing coefficient between dark photons and electromagnetic photons, thereby unveiling a novel avenue for the indirect search for dark matter via multi-messenger astronomy.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Simultaneous Resonant and Broadband Detection of Ultralight Dark Matter and High-Frequency Gravitational Waves via Cavities and Circuits

Electromagnetic resonant systems, such as cavities and LC circuits, are widely used to detect ultralight boson dark matter and high-frequency gravitational waves. However, the narrow bandwidth of single-mode resonators necessitates multiple scan steps to cover broad frequency ranges. By incorporating a network of auxiliary modes via beam-splitter-type and non-degenerate parametric couplings, we enable broadband detection with an effective bandwidth of each scan matching the order of the resonant frequency, while maintaining a strong signal response. In heterodyne upconversion detection, where a background cavity mode transitions into another due to a potential background source, multiple orders of the source frequency can be probed with high sensitivity without tuning the cavity frequency. Consequently, our method allows for significantly deeper exploration of the parameter space within the same integration time compared to single-mode detection.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Dissecting axion and dark photon with a network of vector sensors

We develop formalisms for a network of vector sensors, sensitive to certain spatial components of the signals, to identify the properties of a light axion or a dark photon background. These bosonic fields contribute to vector-like signals in the detectors, including effective magnetic fields triggering the spin precession, effective electric currents in a shielded room, and forces on the matter. The interplay between a pair of vector sensors and a baseline that separates them can potentially uncover rich information of the bosons, including angular distribution, polarization modes, source localization, and macroscopic circular polarization. Using such a network, one can identify the microscopic nature of a potential signal, such as distinguishing between the axion-fermion coupling and the dipole couplings with the dark photon.

hep-ph↗