Abstract: The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics represents a fundamental framework for comprehending the basic constituents of matter and their interactions in nature. However, despite its proven efficacy in numerous particle collider tests, several anomalies remain unexplained by the SM. Notably, it fails to provide viable dark matter (DM) candidates, which accounts for the 27% of the universe's energy density. Consequently, the search for new physics beyond the SM (BSM) is highly motivated. Several BSM models predict novel physics processes at energy scales beyond terrestrial colliders' reach. Nevertheless, the detection of gravitational waves (GWs) provides a unique opportunity to explore BSM physics at such energy scales. Meanwhile, high-precision measurement enabled by state-of-the-art quantum sensors can benefit the DM probe. We examine the intersection of high-energy phenomenology and GW data analysis as well as lab-based quantum sensor measurement by scrutinizing dark photon dark matter (DPDM), cosmic strings, and first-order phase transitions (FOPT).
This talk primarily focuses on four distinct searches beyond the SM, utilizing GW data collected by advanced LIGO and Virgo, and data taken from SERF magnetometer arrays. Firstly, we present a comprehensive account of the DPDM search employing data from advanced LIGO's first and third observation runs (O1 and O3), including simulations of DPDM background, detection statistics, and data analysis. Secondly, we demonstrate the robust kinetically mixed DPDM lab search at low-frequency regime using data taken from SERF magnetometer arrays. Thirdly, we discuss the cosmic string search using data from advanced LIGO and Virgo's O1, O2, and O3 runs. We provide the models of cosmic strings that we constrained and the Bayesian analysis's details searching for isotropic stochastic GW background signals. Finally, we describe the cosmic first-order phase transition search utilizing data from advanced LIGO and Virgo's O3 run. The analysis methodology used in the cosmic string search is extended here.

Bio: B.S. in Astronomy at Nanjing University; Ph.D. in Physics, at the University of Utah.
Ph.D. supervisor: Yue Zhao (University of Utah).
Current position: Postdoctoral Associate in the Physics Department at the University of Florida.
Research interest: Dark matter, cosmology, gravitational wave data analysis.