Speaker
Description
The axion is a well-motivated dark-matter candidate — a pseudoscalar particle originally proposed to resolve the "strong CP problem" — with a predicted mass spanning a broad range from peV to a few meV. Axions gravitationally clustered within our galaxy may be detected using haloscopes: resonant cavities immersed in a static magnetic field that stimulates the conversion of axions into microwave photons.
After a brief introduction to axion physics, this talk presents the status and prospects of axion dark-matter searches at INFN, with particular focus on the University of Liverpool contribution. Central to this effort is FLASH, a large-scale haloscope to be constructed by repurposing a superconducting solenoid of 1.4 m radius, 2.2 m length, and 1.1 T field strength. FLASH will probe axions in the ~1 μeV mass range, and extend its reach to dark photons and high-frequency gravitational waves. Signal readout will exploit quantum sensing technologies — including SQUIDs, and quantum amplifiers — to approach the quantum noise limit and maximise sensitivity. Following the recent refurbishment of its cryogenic lines and control system, the magnet was successfully energised at approximately 2700 A, restoring a 1.1 T field for the first time in nearly two decades.
The talk will also highlight complementary projects currently under study and development in Liverpool, within the framework of the Northwest Quantum Network.