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Quantum sensors based on the superposition of neutral atoms are promising for sensing the nature of dark matter (DM). In this study, we utilize the Stern–Gerlach (SG) interferometer configuration to seek a novel method for the detection of axion-like particles (ALPs). Using an SG interferometer, we create a spatial quantum superposition of neutral atoms such as $$^{3}$$ 3 He and $$^{87}$$ 87 Rb. It is shown that the interaction of ALPs with this superposition induces a relative phase between superposed quantum components. We use the quantum Boltzmann equation (QBE) to introduce a first-principles analysis that describes the temporal evolution of the sensing system. The QBE approach employs quantum field theory (QFT) to highlight the role of the quantum nature of the interactions with the quantum systems. The resulting exclusion area demonstrates that our scheme allows for the exclusion of a range of ALP mass in the range $$10^{-10}\le m_{a}\le 10^{2}\,\textrm{eV}$$ 10 - 10 ≤ m a ≤ 10 2 eV and ALP-atom coupling constant in the range $$10^{-13}\le g_{ae}\le 10^{0}$$ 10 - 13 ≤ g ae ≤ 10 0 .

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