Searching for Scalar Ultralight Dark Matter with Optical Fibers

Abstract

We consider optical fibers as detectors for scalar ultralight dark matter (UDM) and propose using a fiber-based interferometer to search for scalar UDM with particle mass in the range $10^{-17}-10^{-13}$ eV/$c^2$ $\left(10^{-3}-10\text{ Hz}\right)$. Composed of a solid core and a hollow core fiber, the proposed detector would be sensitive to relative oscillations in the fibers' refractive indices due to scalar UDM-induced modulations in the fine-structure constant $\alpha$. We predict that, implementing detector arrays or cryogenic cooling, the proposed optical fiber-based scalar UDM search has the potential to reach new regions of the parameter space. Such a search would be particularly well-suited to probe for a Solar halo of dark matter with a sensitivity exceeding that of previous DM searches over the particle mass range $7\times 10^{-17}-2\times 10^{-14}$ eV/$c^2$.