The NASDUCK Collaboration: Using Quantum Magnetometers to Search for Ultralight Dark Matter

Ultralight dark matter (DM) bosons can act as classical, coherent fields. In many axion-like particle (ALP) models, such fields can couple to spins, inducing oscillating magnetic-like effects that can be detected with sensitive quantum magnetometers. The Noble and Alkali Spin Detectors for Ultralight Coherent darK matter (NASDUCK) collaboration was established in 2020 to explore this detection strategy. Our first published results were from the NASDUCK-Floquet experiment, targeting DM–neutron interactions in the few-feV to few-peV mass range. Our second study, based on the NASDUCK-SERF sensor, extended these constraints down to the peV–10s of neV range, setting bounds on DM interactions with both neutrons and protons. In this talk, I will introduce spin-coupled ultralight DM, present these two results, and discuss our ongoing efforts, including a new experiment currently underway at Rafael.