Dark matter searches with levitated sensors

Abstract

Motivated by the current interest in employing quantum sensors on Earth and in space to conduct searches for new physics, we provide a perspective on the suitability of large-mass levitated optomechanical systems for observing dark matter signatures. We discuss conservative approaches of recoil detection through spectral analysis of coherently scattered light, enhancements of directional effects due to cross-correlation spectral densities, and the possibility of using quantum superpositions of mesoscopic test particles to measure rare events.