The Canfranc Axion Detection Experiment (CADEx): Search for axions at 90 GHz with Kinetic Inductance Detectors

TL;DR

CADEx is a new experiment aiming to detect QCD axions in the 330-460 μeV mass range using a microwave cavity and Kinetic Inductance Detectors in a high magnetic field, exploring an untested parameter space.

Contribution

The paper introduces CADEx, a novel experimental setup combining a microwave resonant cavity and Kinetic Inductance Detectors to search for axions at 90 GHz, covering an unexplored mass range.

Findings

Sensitivity forecasts for axion detection are provided.

Potential to search for dark photons is discussed.

Experiment is in preparation at Canfranc Underground Laboratory.

Abstract

We propose a novel experiment, the Canfranc Axion Detection Experiment (CADEx), to probe dark matter axions with masses in the range 330-460 $\mu$eV, within the W-band (80-110 GHz), an unexplored parameter space in the well-motivated dark matter window of Quantum ChromoDynamics (QCD) axions. The experimental design consists of a microwave resonant cavity haloscope in a high static magnetic field coupled to a highly sensitive detecting system based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors via optimized quasi-optics (horns and mirrors). The experiment is in preparation and will be installed in the dilution refrigerator of the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. Sensitivity forecasts for axion detection with CADEx, together with the potential of the experiment to search for dark photons, are presented.