Hidden Photons in Aharonov-Bohm-Type Experiments

TL;DR

This paper explores how Aharonov-Bohm experiments can detect hidden photons through magnetic field leakage, proposing improved measurement techniques for enhanced sensitivity, especially for hidden photon masses below 1 meV.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to detect hidden photons by measuring magnetic field leakage in Aharonov-Bohm setups, significantly improving experimental sensitivity.

Findings

Magnetic field leakage caused by hidden photons can be measured directly.

Enhanced experimental sensitivity can probe hidden photon masses below 1 meV.

The proposed method offers a promising discovery potential for hidden photons.

Abstract

We discuss the Aharonov-Bohm effect in the presence of hidden photons kinetically mixed with the ordinary electromagnetic photons. The hidden photon field causes a slight phase shift in the observable interference pattern. It is then shown how the limited sensitivity of this experiment can be largely improved. The key observation is that the hidden photon field causes a leakage of the ordinary magnetic field into the supposedly field-free region. The direct measurement of this magnetic field can provide a sensitive experiment with a good discovery potential, particularly below the $\sim$ meV mass range for hidden photons.