Heterodyne Broadband Detection of Axion Dark Matter

TL;DR

This paper introduces a broadband detection method using superconducting cavities to search for ultralight axion dark matter, covering a vast mass range and exploring new parameter space.

Contribution

It presents a novel broadband search strategy leveraging cavity resonances to detect axion-like particles across fifteen orders of magnitude in mass.

Findings

Can probe unexplored axion parameter space

Effective for both high and low mass ranges

Potential to detect fuzzy dark matter

Abstract

We propose a new broadband search strategy for ultralight axion dark matter that interacts with electromagnetism. An oscillating axion field induces transitions between two quasi-degenerate resonant modes of a superconducting cavity. In two broadband runs optimized for high and low masses, this setup can probe unexplored parameter space for axion-like particles covering fifteen orders of magnitude in mass, including astrophysically long-ranged fuzzy dark matter.