Axion Dark Matter Search with Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detectors

TL;DR

This paper proposes using interferometric gravitational wave detectors to search for axion dark matter by measuring phase differences in polarized photons, achieving high sensitivity across a range of axion masses without affecting gravitational wave detection.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to detect axion dark matter with existing gravitational wave detectors, enhancing sensitivity to axion-photon coupling over a broad mass range.

Findings

Potential sensitivity to axion-photon coupling reaches 8×10⁻¹³ GeV⁻¹ at specific masses.

Sensitivity remains stable over three orders of magnitude in axion mass.

Achieves high sensitivity without compromising gravitational wave detection capabilities.

Abstract

Axion dark matter differentiates the phase velocities of the circular-polarized photons. In Phys.Rev.Lett. 123 (2019) no.11, 111301, we have proposed a scheme to measure the phase difference by using a linear optical cavity. If the scheme is applied to the Fabry-P\'erot arm of Advanced LIGO-like (Cosmic-Explorer-like) gravitational wave detector, the potential sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling constant, $g_{\text{a}\gamma}$, reaches $g_{\text{a}\gamma} \simeq 8\times10^{-13} \text{GeV}^{-1}\, (4 \times 10^{-14}\text{GeV}^{-1})$ at the axion mass $m \simeq 3\times 10^{-13}$ eV ($2\times10^{-15}$ eV) and remains at around this sensitivity for 3 orders of magnitude in mass. Furthermore, its sensitivity has a sharp peak reaching $g_{\text{a}\gamma} \simeq 10^{-14} \text{GeV}^{-1}\ (8\times10^{-17} \text{GeV}^{-1})$ at $m = 1.563\times10^{-10}$ eV ($1.563\times10^{-11}$ eV). This sensitivity can be achieved without loosing any sensitivity to gravitational waves.