No Arabic abstract
Aim of the QUAX (QUaerere AXion) proposal is to exploit the interaction of cosmological axions with the spin of electrons in a magnetized sample. Their effect is equivalent to the application of an oscillating rf field with frequency and amplitude which are fixed by axion mass and coupling constant, respectively. The rf receiver module of the QUAX detector consists of magnetized samples with the Larmor resonance frequency tuned to the axion mass by a polarizing static magnetic field. The interaction of electrons with the axion-equivalent rf field produces oscillations in the total magnetization of the samples. To amplify such a tiny field, a pump field at the same frequency is applied in a direction orthogonal to the polarizing field. The induced oscillatory magnetization along the polarizing field is measured by a SQUID amplifier operated at its quantum noise level.
A haloscope of the QUAX--$agamma$ experiment composed of an oxygen-free high thermal conductivity-Cu cavity inside an 8.1 T magnet and cooled to $sim200$ mK is put in operation for the search of galactic axion with mass $m_asimeq43~mutext{eV}$. The power emitted by the resonant cavity is amplified with a Josephson parametric amplifier whose noise fluctuations are at the standard quantum limit. With the data collected in about 1 h at the cavity frequency $ u_c=10.40176$ GHz, the experiment reaches the sensitivity necessary for the detection of galactic QCD-axion, setting the $90%$ confidence level limit to the axion-photon coupling $g_{agammagamma}<0.639times10^{-13}$ GeV$^{-1}$.
We present a proposal to search for QCD axions with mass in the 200 $mu$eV range, assuming that they make a dominant component of dark matter. Due to the axion-electron spin coupling, their effect is equivalent to the application of an oscillating rf field with frequency and amplitude fixed by the axion mass and coupling respectively. This equivalent magnetic field would produce spin flips in a magnetic sample placed inside a static magnetic field, which determines the resonant interaction at the Larmor frequency. Spin flips would subsequently emit radio frequency photons that can be detected by a suitable quantum counter in an ultra-cryogenic environment. This new detection technique is crucial to keep under control the thermal photon background which would otherwise produce a too large noise.
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) searches for $atogamma$ conversion in the 9 T magnetic field of a refurbished LHC test magnet that can be directed toward the Sun. Two parallel magnet bores can be filled with helium of adjustable pressure to match the X-ray refractive mass $m_gamma$ to the axion search mass $m_a$. After the vacuum phase (2003--2004), which is optimal for $m_alesssim0.02$ eV, we used $^4$He in 2005--2007 to cover the mass range of 0.02--0.39 eV and $^3$He in 2009--2011 to scan from 0.39--1.17 eV. After improving the detectors and shielding, we returned to $^4$He in 2012 to investigate a narrow $m_a$ range around 0.2 eV (candidate setting of our earlier search) and 0.39--0.42 eV, the upper axion mass range reachable with $^4$He, to cross the axion line for the KSVZ model. We have improved the limit on the axion-photon coupling to $g_{agamma}< 1.47times10^{-10} {rm GeV}^{-1}$ (95% C.L.), depending on the pressure settings. Since 2013, we have returned to vacuum and aim for a significant increase in sensitivity.
An appealing candidate of the galactic dark matter is the axion, which was postulated to solve the strong CP (Charge-conjugation Parity) violation problem in the standard particle theory. A new experimental method is proposed to determine the axion mass. The method uses collectively and coherently excited atoms or molecules, the trigger laser inducing galactic axion absorption along with signal photon emission to be detected.
Axion Like Particles (ALPs) with a sub-keV range mass are searched by using the light-shining-through-a-wall technique. A novel system is developed in which injected X rays are converted and reconverted by the Laue-case conversion within a silicon single crystal with dual blades. The resonant ALPs mass of the conversion is scanned by varying the X-ray injection angle to the crystal. No significant signals are observed, and 90% C. L. upper limits on the ALP-two photon coupling constant are obtained as follows, g_{agammagamma} < 4.2 times 10^{-3} GeV^{-1} (m_a < 10 eV), g_{agammagamma} < 5.0 times 10^{-3} GeV^{-1} (46 eV < m_a < 1020 eV). These are the most stringent laboratorial constraints on ALPs heavier than 300 eV.