Speaker
Description
In the ALPS Optics group at DESY, we are developing new interferometric techniques to test fundamental physics using optical cavities. One such effect is vacuum magnetic birefringence (VMB). VMB is a consequence of QED where under the influence of a magnetic field, the vacuum behaves as a non-linear optical medium. A VMB search also serves as an important tool in the hunt for beyond the standard model physics, as deviations from the QED predicted value could provide evidence for the existence of axions. We have built a prototype setup featuring a high finesse, 19 meter cavity without a magnetic field to explore the sensitivities of these new ideas. With the prototype we aim to demonstrate a sensitivity capable of measuring VMB if the setup were to be implemented on the ALPS II magnet string. In this talk I will present the current status of the prototype setup and report on the ongoing upgrades to increase its sensitivity. This effort includes a new heterodyne phase correction technique for optical cavity locking. In addition to more robust locking, this method could also be used for vacuum dichroism measurements, providing a different method for probing BSM physics with the ALPS II infrastructure.
| Primary Abstract Topic | Experiment: Axions and Wave-Like-DM |
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