Sponge crystals listen to the whisper of dark matter ⚡ экспресс
A quantum dark matter detector based on chiral phonons—lattice vibrations with a distinctive "twist" that carry a significant magnetic moment—has been proposed. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are chosen as the sensitive element due to their asymmetric structure and tunability. Comparison of candidates showed that expected sensitivity for sub-eV particles has little dependence on the specific MOF, simplifying material adaptation. Just as a microphone converts sound into electricity, here a magnetometer reads the magnetic "notes" from dark matter interacting with phonons. A prototype with a surface magnetometer has been proposed.
In the 1930s, Fritz Zwicky noticed that galaxies move as if tugged by an invisible weight. Later, Vera Rubin proved that stars on the outskirts spin too fast—they are held together by dark matter. But catching its particles has proven impossible: they pass through everything like ghosts.
Now physicists have designed a trap from sponge-like porous crystals. If a dark matter particle collides with such a sponge, a twisted sound wave—a tiny magnetic vortex—is born inside. This "whisper" can be heard using an ultra-sensitive sensor coated right onto the crystal.
The biggest surprise: the sponge's sensitivity barely depends on its composition. You can change the chemical ingredients, add rare dopants—the sensitivity doesn't drop. This makes the detector flexible. Moreover, the twisted waves here resemble the symmetry-breaking process after the Big Bang. Since the Standard Model is silent about dark matter, a successful trap like this would open the door to new physics.
🎯 Porous sponge crystals are already at work in practice: they are used to capture carbon dioxide from the air and store hydrogen in the cars of the future.