Cosmic Axion Background Detection Using Resonant Cavity Arrays

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel multi-cavity array approach to detect the Cosmic Axion Background by exploiting spatial correlations, potentially improving sensitivity in existing experiments like ADMX.

Contribution

It introduces a new multi-cavity array strategy to enhance detection of the Cosmic Axion Background through spatial correlation analysis.

Findings

Stacked cavity arrays can coherently enhance axion signals.

Optimized cavity geometries may improve sensitivity by up to a factor of one.

The formalism applies to prospective upgrades of ADMX.

Abstract

The axion is a well-motivated and generic extension of the Standard Model. If produced in the early universe, axions may still be relativistic today, forming a Cosmic Axion Background (C$a$B) potentially detectable in direct detection experiments. Although C$a$B is expected to be broadband, which makes it challenging to be detected, a high-quality-factor microwave cavity acts as a narrowband filter with response peaked at its resonant frequency. We propose a new strategy using multi-cavity arrays to distinguish signal from background noise by exploiting spatial correlations of the axion-induced electric field which are set by the cavity quality factor. We compute the two-point correlation function for electric fields in spatially separated cavities sourced by an isotropic C$a$B. Analyzing various cavity geometries, we find that stacked, wide-base cavity arrays offer coherent enhancement of the axion signal. We apply our formalism to prospective upgrades of the ADMX experiment, including configurations with four and eighteen coupled cavities. Although these arrays do not achieve a coherent enhancement, optimizing the geometry could potentially yield an $\mathcal{O}(1)$ improvement in the sensitivity to the C$a$B.