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Welcome to the QSHS Project.

QSHS is a Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) funded project. The project commenced in 2021.

The Sheffield lead is Professor Ed Daw, based in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, at the University of Sheffield. Together with our collaborators in University College London, University of Oxford, University of Lancaster, Royal Holloway University London and National Physical Laboratory, we aim to increase major new UK activity in the field of searches for hidden sector particles and hidden sector dark matter.

Our priorities are:

(1) The development of novel sensitive quantum electronics;

(2) Collaborative work with the ADMX collaboration;

(3) Accompanying theoretical work on hidden sector phenomenology and quantum systems theory underlying quantum measurement in the hidden sector.

Identifying the nature of the dark matter that dominates the mass distribution of galaxies and that plays a key role in our understanding of cosmology is a central unsolved problem of modern physics. Attention over the past 30+ years has focused on weakly interacting dark matter (WIMPs), however, a smaller but active community has been searching instead for ‘hidden-sector’ particles, using some of the world’s most sensitive electronics. Axions were invoked to solve the so-called strong-CP problem, and also turn out to be a natural candidate for the mysterious dark matter.

INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US?

Vacancies will be advertised here, but if you are interested in joining us or want to hear more about the project please sign up to our mailing list.

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