Axion Dark Matter: How to see it?

TL;DR

This paper reviews the experimental efforts to detect axion dark matter, highlighting technological advancements and future prospects to explore a broad parameter space within the next decade.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current and upcoming experimental techniques for axion detection and discusses their potential to cover most of the axion parameter space.

Findings

Experimental sensitivity is reaching theoretically interesting levels.

Multiple orthogonal approaches are expanding the search range.

Most of the axion parameter space could be explored within the next decade.

Abstract

The axion is a highly motivated elementary particle which could address two fundamental questions in physics - the strong CP problem and the dark matter mystery. Experimental searches for this hypothetical particle have started to reach theoretically interesting sensitivity levels, particularly in the $\mu$eV (GHz) region. They rely on large volume solenoid magnetic fields and microwave resonators with signals read out by quantum noise limited amplifiers. Concurrently, there have been intensive experimental efforts to widen the search range by devising various techniques as well as to enhance sensitivities by implementing advanced technologies. The developments and improvements in these orthogonal approaches will enable us to explore most of the parameter space of the axion and axion-like particles within the next couple of decades, with the 1-25 GHz frequency range to be conquered well within the first decade. We review the experimental aspects of axion physics and discuss the past, present and future of the direct search programs.