Scientists have recently developed a new way to detect dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up about 85% of the universe’s mass but cannot be seen directly. They achieved this by creating a new type of particle called a “dynamical axion quasiparticle,” or DAQ for short.

Dark matter is a type of matter that doesn’t emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible to our current instruments. Although we can’t see it, scientists are confident that dark matter exists because of its gravitational effects on visible matter, such as stars and galaxies. One leading theory is that dark matter is made up of tiny particles called axions.

To detect axions, researchers at Harvard University used a special material called MnBi₂Te₄ (a combination of manganese, bismuth, and tellurium), which is a type of topological insulator. These materials have unique properties that allow electrons to move in unusual ways. By applying a magnetic field to MnBi₂Te₄, the team created a new quasiparticle—the DAQ—that behaves like an axion.

Jian-Xiang Qiu, a graduate researcher in Su-Yang Xu’s lab at Harvard, performed the study, which is published in the journal Nature. While he did not find axions, they were able to create something called a quasiparticle, which is something that behaves like an axion particle. They called this the DAQ.

Dr. David J. Marsh from King’s College London talked to IFLScience about this, saying:

“We’ve discovered a new type of quasiparticle. We’ve discovered something that’s actually axion-like, which has never been done before. If dark matter is a wave, then it’s just oscillating up and down, so the way you try and detect it is you look for that oscillation, just like we looked for the oscillation of the axial quasiparticle. It’s like if you’re trying to find a radio station. Imagine your radio station is 96.7 FM, and then you want to find it. You have to tune your car radio to 96.7. But if you show up somewhere, like in a new country, and you don’t know what radio stations are going to be good, you start tuning your radio and you might go past something that’s good.”

The DAQ is significant because it mimics the behavior of axions, making it a useful tool for detecting dark matter. By studying how the DAQ interacts with light, scientists can better understand how axions might behave in the universe. This research brings us closer to detecting dark matter directly and understanding its role in the cosmos.

The discovery of the DAQ opens up new possibilities for dark matter research. Scientists are now exploring how to use this quasiparticle in experiments to detect axions more effectively. As technology advances, we may soon have more tools to uncover the secrets of dark matter and learn more about the universe’s hidden components.

This is a major step forward in the research into dark matter, but we shouldn’t expect anything to jump out immediately. Marsh explains:

“There are lots of experiments that are happening or going to happen in the next 10 to 20 years. If axion dark matter exists, if it’s, you know, a big part of the dark matter… if it’s 50 to 90 percent or something, of the dark matter, will find it.”

If you want to learn more about dark matter, make sure to check out this brief video that shows the amazing dark matter lab located deep underground:

Dark matter gets a lot of attention, but since it has never been directly observed, there are also many skeptics.

Having a tool that can detect it may revolutionize this area of science.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a quantum computer simulation that has “reversed time” and physics may never be the same.