First Results from the Axion Dark-Matter Birefringent Cavity (ADBC) Experiment

Abstract

Axions and axionlike particles are strongly motivated dark-matter candidates that are the subject of many current ground based dark-matter searches. We present first results from the Axion Dark-Matter Birefringent Cavity (ADBC) experiment, which is an optical bow-tie cavity probing the axion-induced birefringence of electromagnetic waves. Our experiment is the first optical axion detector that is tunable and quantum noise limited, making it sensitive to a wide range of axion masses. We have iteratively probed the axion mass ranges 40.9–43.3  neV/c2, 49.3–50.6  neV/c2, and 54.4–56.7  neV/c2, and found no dark-matter signal. On average, we constrain the axionlike particle and photon coupling at the level gaγγ≤1.9×10−8  GeV−1. We also present prospects for future axion dark-matter detection experiments using optical cavities. Published by the American Physical Society 2024