Light Shining Through a Thin Wall: Evanescent Hidden Photon Detection

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel method using superconducting cavities to detect hidden photons via evanescent modes, covering a broad mass range with high sensitivity in photon regeneration experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a new experimental setup with specific cavity arrangements to improve detection of hidden photons in the 10^{-5} eV to 10^{-1} eV mass range.

Findings

Proposed cavity configurations enhance sensitivity to hidden photons.

Evanescent modes enable detection through thin electromagnetic barriers.

Broad mass range coverage from 10^{-5} eV to 10^{-1} eV.

Abstract

A kinetically-mixed hidden photon is sourced as an evanescent mode by electromagnetic fields that oscillate at a frequency smaller than the hidden photon mass. These evanescent modes fall off exponentially with distance, but nevertheless yield detectable signals in a photon regeneration experiment if the electromagnetic barrier is made sufficiently thin. We consider such an experiment using superconducting cavities at GHz frequencies, proposing various cavity and mode arrangements that enable unique sensitivity to hidden photon masses ranging from $10^{-5}$ eV to $ 10^{-1}$ eV.