Axion dark matter search using arm cavity transmitted beams of gravitational wave detectors

TL;DR

This paper proposes a realistic method to search for ultralight axion dark matter using the transmission ports of gravitational wave detectors, improving sensitivity at low axion masses by considering phase effects and stochastic fields.

Contribution

It introduces a new scheme utilizing transmission ports in gravitational wave detectors for axion detection, enhancing low-mass sensitivity and accounting for stochastic axion fields.

Findings

Sensitivity to axion-photon coupling is estimated at ~3×10^{-12} GeV^{-1} for Advanced LIGO.

The method improves upon previous limits set by CERN Axion Solar Telescope.

The scheme effectively utilizes the phase difference in photons traveling in the cavity for axion detection.

Abstract

Axion is a promising candidate for ultralight dark matter which may cause a polarization rotation of laser light. Recently, a new idea of probing the axion dark matter by optical linear cavities used in the arms of gravitational wave detectors has been proposed [Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 111301 (2019)]. In this article, a realistic scheme of the axion dark matter search with the arm cavity transmission ports is revisited. Since photons detected by the transmission ports travel in the cavity for odd-number of times, the effect of axion dark matter on their phases is not cancelled out and the sensitivity at low-mass range is significantly improved compared to the search using reflection ports. We also take into account the stochastic nature of the axion field and the availability of the two detection ports in the gravitational wave detectors. The sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling, $g_{a\gamma}$, of the ground-based gravitational wave detector, such as Advanced LIGO, with 1-year observation is estimated to be $g_{a\gamma} \sim 3\times10^{-12}$ GeV$^{-1}$ below the axion mass of $10^{-15}$ eV, which improves upon the limit achieved by the CERN Axion Solar Telescope.