A roughly 100m baseline for vertical atom interferometry is now realised through the Atom Interferometer CERN Experiment, or AICE. Previous experiments like VLBAI, MAGIS and the AION-10 Technical Design Report have laid groundwork, however this facility scales strontium gradiometer architecture to an unprecedented length. This new configuration at CERN detects bosonic ultralight dark matter and explores gravitational waves between approximately 0.03, 3Hz.

AICE utilises atom interferometry, a technique exploiting the wave-like properties of atoms for precise measurements. Primarily designed to search for ultralight dark matter, an unexplained component comprising much of the universe, it extends detection capabilities beyond current methods.

Additionally, AICE aims to detect low frequency gravitational waves between approximately 0.03 and 3Hz, filling a gap in existing observation ranges and potentially revealing previously unknown cosmic phenomena. Gianluigi Arduini from INFN and colleagues are constructing this device designed to detect elusive components of the universe and ripples in spacetime. The facility uses atom interferometry; similar to how a prism splits light into its constituent colours for analysis, it splits atoms enabling incredibly precise measurement of gravity’s effects on them.

The primary aim is to search for bosonic ultralight dark matter, an invisible form of matter theorised to permeate the cosmos as extremely lightweight particles interacting weakly with normal matter. Gianluigi Arduini and colleagues are now detailing how they will build and operate this ambitious instrument.

A hundred-metre scale atom interferometer searches for ultralight dark matter and low frequency

Vertical atom interferometry can now achieve a tenfold increase in baseline length, extending strontium gradiometer architecture from experiments like VLBAI and MAGIS to roughly 100m within CERN’s infrastructure. This unprecedented scale unlocks exploration of bosonic ultralight dark matter across previously inaccessible mass ranges.

It also enables pioneering investigations into gravitational waves between approximately 0.03 and 3Hz. The Atom Interferometer CERN Experiment, AICE, will initially employ ultracold strontium-87 atoms as a multi-source gradiometer with reference sources providing laser stabilisation; later upgrades utilising ytterbium-171 promise expanded sensitivity towards axion-like particles alongside tests of fundamental physics principles such as the equivalence principle.

Strontium-88 will also be utilised for investigating axion-like particles and testing the equivalence principle, with ytterbium-171 serving as a later upgrade option. The uniquely prepared location of the AICE project within CERN’s infrastructure is key, confirmed by detailed studies showing that PX46 access shaft readiness won’t disrupt ongoing operations such as those of the High-Luminosity LHC. This facility will explore an unexplored mass range for ultralight dark matter and pioneer gravitational wave detection at lower frequencies, areas where current experiments lack sensitivity.

The researchers anticipate beginning these explorations within the next decade. Establishing a mature site for long-baseline quantum sensing represents a step in understanding both dark matter and gravity; the team are constructing AICE which uses existing infrastructure to create a stable environment suited for precision measurements using atom interferometry, exploiting atomic wave properties.

The Atom Interferometer CERN Experiment (AICE) has established feasibility for detecting ultralight dark matter across currently inaccessible masses, achieving sensitivities of approximately 9.5 × 10−6 and 4.6 × 10−6 near a mass of 10−16 eV with strontium-87 atoms.

This research creates a facility capable of probing this elusive substance alongside exploring low-frequency gravitational waves, a region where current instruments are limited. AICE utilises existing infrastructure at CERN to provide the stable environment necessary for precise atom interferometry measurements using elements like ytterbium-171 in future upgrades. The researchers plan to begin these investigations within the next decade as they construct their device.

👉 More information
🗞 Technical Proposal for the Atom Interferometer CERN Experiment (AICE) Facility
🧠 ArXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.18743

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