Cosmic radio tuning may reveal dark matter within 15 years

Cosmic radio tuning may reveal dark matter within 15 years
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Apr 22, 2025

Researchers from King's College London, Harvard University, and UC Berkeley have introduced a new approach to dark matter detection that they believe could yield results within 15 years. The proposed method involves a device they liken to a "cosmic car radio," capable of detecting hypothetical particles known as axions, widely considered among the most promising dark matter candidates.

Dark matter, which remains invisible to direct observation, is believed to account for up to 85 percent of the Universe's mass. Axions, if they exist, would be incredibly small and interact only weakly with ordinary matter, yet their gravitational influence might explain many of the unexplained phenomena observed in space.

In the study, published in Nature, the team outlines the design of a detector that can scan for axions across a wide frequency range. These particles are expected to behave like waves, potentially oscillating at frequencies from the audible kilohertz range to the ultra-high terahertz spectrum. The researchers have developed an axion quasiparticle (AQ) that responds to these frequencies.

The AQ detector is crafted from manganese bismuth telluride (MnBi2Te4), a compound with exceptional magnetic and electronic properties. By reducing the material to ultrathin two-dimensional layers, the team was able to enhance its sensitivity and tailor its quantum characteristics. According to lead author Jian-Xiang Qiu of Harvard University, the material's sensitivity to air necessitated precise exfoliation to a few atomic layers to achieve the desired tuning.

Dr David Marsh, co-author and Ernest Rutherford Fellow at King's College London, described the AQ device as being analogous to a radio receiver. "We can now build a dark matter detector that is essentially a cosmic car radio, tuning into the frequencies of the wider galaxy until we find the axion," he stated. "We already have the technology, now it's just a matter of scale and time."

The researchers plan to scale up the AQ detector within the next five years, followed by an anticipated ten-year effort to scan the relevant high-frequency bands. When the AQ device aligns with the frequency of the axion, it is expected to emit tiny flashes of light, offering a measurable signal that dark matter has been detected.

Dr Marsh also noted the surge in scientific interest around axions, comparing it to the wave of studies that preceded the discovery of the Higgs boson. "Theorists proposed that axions acted like a radio frequency in 1983 and we now know we can tune in to it - we're closing in on the axion and fast," he said.

Research Report:Observation of the axion quasiparticle in 2D MnBi2Te4