Speaker
Description
The QUAX (QUaerere AXion) experiment searches for axion dark matter in the 35–45 μeV mass range (8.5–11 GHz) using two complementary cavity haloscopes covering distinct mass regions, located at INFN laboratories in Legnaro and Frascati. This talk will mostly present the results and status of the LNL haloscope, which has already reached near-KSVZ sensitivity above 40 μeV [1]. This is based on a tunable dielectrically loaded copper cavity immersed in an 8 T magnetic field and read out through a quantum-limited detection chain based on a traveling-wave parametric amplifier (TWPA) [1]. The latest results from the most recent data-taking campaigns [2] will be presented for the first time. The talk will also highlight ongoing R&D activities exploiting the recent version of a transmon-based single-photon counter for the readout of hybrid magnon–photon systems [3,4], consisting of a microwave cavity coupled to YIG spheres, as well as for a next-generation conventional axion haloscope based on a tunable cavity equipped with REBCO tapes and operated in a 9 T magnetic field.
[1] “Search for Postinflationary QCD Axions with a Quantum-Limited Tunable Microwave Receiver”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 211002 (2025)
[2] “Search for post-inflationary axions around 40 $\mu$eV with QUAX: Detailed Design, Operations, and Analysis”, in preparation
[3] “Quantum-Enhanced Sensing of Axion Dark Matter with a Transmon-Based Single Microwave Photon Counter”, Phys. Rev. X 15, 021031 (2025)
[4] “Enhancing the sensitivity of single microwave photon detection with bandwidth tunability”, Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 044064 (2026)
| Primary Abstract Topic | Experiment: Axions and Wave-Like-DM |
|---|