Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Bosonic particles beyond the Standard Model, such as axions, are among the leading candidates for dark matter. If such particles have a small mass, they are usually described as a purely classical field. However, it was recently shown that this description is incomplete: their inherent gravitational self-interactions can squeeze the field, producing a quantum feature beyond the classical description. Here we analyze squeezing of light dark matter in the presence of decoherence. We show that squeezing is continuously generated, and rapidly enough to survive dissipation, and may also remain present under thermal fluctuations and dephasing. Our results demonstrate that dark matter might possess persistent quantum features and motivate further investigation of their implications for dark matter detection.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Fragkos, Vasileios, Pikovski, Igor
Institutions: Stevens Institute of Technology, Stockholm University
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223054098