Numerical Modeling of Optomechanical Sensors for Dark Matter Detection

Ultralight scalar dark matter can be represented as an atomic strain that can drive the acoustic breathing modes of an elastic body. We propose various laboratory-scale mechanical resonators for measuring the acoustic excitations at frequencies ranging from kilohertz (kHz) to Gigahertz (GHz)[1]. These devices include bulk acoustic wave resonators, phononic crystals, superfluid helium detectors and suspended sapphire micropillars. We use numerical modeling techniques to characterize each device’s performance as a dark matter detector. These techniques can be applied to an arbitrary mechanical resonator to measure its viability as a sensor for these signals.