Speakers
Description
The search for axions has motivated a wide variety of experimental approaches exploiting the rich phenomenology of this hypothetical particle. Originally proposed as a solution to the strong CP problem in QCD, the axion is also a well-motivated dark matter candidate. The RADES collaboration aims to detect relic galactic axions using haloscopes through the Primakoff effect, whereby axions convert into photons in the presence of a strong magnetic field.
The DarkQuantum ERC Synergy Grant, within the RADES framework, targets two axion mass windows: 1–2 µeV and 30–80 µeV, corresponding to frequency ranges of 200–500 MHz and 8–18 GHz. A key innovation of DarkQuantum at high frequencies is the development of quantum sensors capable of surpassing the Standard Quantum Limit, which constrains traditional power measurements in haloscopes. This approach builds on recent demonstrations of single-photon detection in the microwave regime.
Within RADES, two complementary quantum haloscope concepts are under development: a photon-counting haloscope to measure axion-induced photons in the conversion cavity, and an interferometric haloscope sensitive to axion-induced phase shifts. Both approaches face the challenge of operating quantum devices in strong magnetic fields.
To address this, granular aluminium superconducting devices are being investigated in the collaboration due to their resilience to moderate magnetic fields. In this talk, the high-frequency strategy of the collaboration will be presented, together with the most recent experimental results and ongoing developments toward quantum-enhanced axion searches.
| Main Contribution topic | Axion / Sterile |
|---|---|
| Secondary contribution topic | Direct detection |