Probing the dark sector with mechanical systems

The coupling of normal, Standard Model matter with dark matter or energy sometimes manifests itself as a mechanical effect: strain, recoil kicks, or acceleration. Following a review of the expected mechanical signature, I will discuss why mechanical systems are well-suited to complement AMO and particle physics based searches for these astrophysical signals. Specifically, I will discuss the feasibility of searching for ultralight dark matter using various optomechanical systems. I will also show that current mechanical systems have the sensitivity to set new constraints on scalar field candidates for dark energy. Finally, I will briefly overview the promise of quantum noise limited detectors in the search for beyond the standard model physics.