MADMAX: A new Dark Matter Axion Search using a Dielectric Haloscope

Abstract

The axion is an intriguing dark matter candidate emerging from the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem. Current experimental searches for axion dark matter focus on the axion mass range below 40 $\mu$eV. However, if the Peccei-Quinn symmetry is restored after inflation the observed dark matter density points to an axion mass around 100 $\mu$eV. A new project based on axion-photon conversion at the transition between different dielectric media is presented. By using $\sim 80$ dielectric discs, the emitted power could be enhanced by a factor of $\sim 10^5$ over that from a single mirror (flat dish antenna). Within a 10 T magnetic field, this could be enough to detect $\sim 100\mu$eV axions with HEMT linear amplifiers. The design for an experiment is proposed. Results from noise, transmissivity and reflectivity measurements obtained in a prototype setup are presented. The expected sensitivity is shown.

Contributed to the 12th Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs, Jeju Island, South Korea, June 20 to 26, 2016

References in corpus (1)

• First results from a microwave cavity axion search at 24 micro-eV

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