A Levitated-Magnet Vector Force Sensor for Spin-Dependent Exotic Interactions

Abstract

We present a magnetically levitated ferromagnetic vector force sensor that enables selective searches for spin-dependent exotic interactions mediated by beyond-Standard-Model bosons. A defining feature of spin-dependent exotic interactions is that they can generate forces with distinct directional signatures set by the relative spin configuration of the interacting bodies. We show that our sensor resolves these signatures by mapping forces along different axes onto distinct translational modes with different resonance frequencies, thereby separating interaction channels within the same coupling class. As a representative example, we study parity-violating axial-vector--vector interactions mediated by a spin-1 $Z'$ boson between a sensing and a driving levitated ferromagnet. Using a matched-filter likelihood analysis, we show that a setup based on an already demonstrated experiment can probe the pure electron--electron coupling $g_A^e g_V^e$ in the previously inaccessible force range $λ\lesssim 1\,\mathrm{cm}$, corresponding to mediator masses $M_{Z'} \gtrsim 10^{-5}\,\mathrm{eV}/c^2$. Our results establish levitated ferromagnets as a promising platform for millimeter-scale searches for spin-dependent fifth forces and for resolving the multiple effective potentials associated with a given coupling class.