Resonant Electric Probe to Axionic Dark Matter

TL;DR

This paper proposes a resonant LC circuit-based detection method for axionic dark matter using a solenoid magnet, achieving high sensitivity to low-mass axions with potential to surpass current constraints.

Contribution

It introduces a novel resonant electric detection scheme for axion dark matter, including detailed electromagnetic simulations and sensitivity estimates with cryogenic amplification.

Findings

Enhanced electric signal detection via high-Q resonant circuits

Projected sensitivity to QCD axions around 10^{-8} eV

Potential to improve constraints by five orders of magnitude

Abstract

The oscillating light axion field is known as wave dark matter. We propose an LC-resonance enhanced detection of the narrow band electric signals induced by the axion dark matter using a solenoid magnet facility. We provide full 3D electromagnetic simulation results for the signal electric field. The electric signal is enhanced by the high $Q$-factor of a resonant LC circuit and then amplified and detected by the state-of-the-art cryogenic electrical transport measurement technique. The cryogenic amplifier noise is the dominant noise source in the proposed detection system. We estimate that the detection system can have a promising sensitivity to axion dark matter with mass below $10^{-6}$ eV. The projected sensitivities improve with the size of the magnetic field, and the electric signal measurement can be potentially sensitive to the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) axion with $g_{a\gamma} \sim 10^{-16}$ GeV$^{-1}$ around $m_a \sim 10^{-8}$eV, with a multi-meter scale magnetized region. This limit is around five orders of magnitude below the current constraint from the cosmic rays.