First Axion-Like Particle Results from a Broadband Search for Wave-Like Dark Matter in the 44 to 52 $\mu$eV Range with a Coaxial Dish Antenna

Abstract

We present the results from the first axion-like particle search conducted using a dish antenna. The experiment was conducted at room temperature and sensitive to axion-like particles in the $44-52\mu \mathrm{eV}$ range ($10.7-12.5\mathrm{GHz}$). The novel dish antenna geometry was proposed by the BREAD collaboration and previously used to conduct a dark photon search in the same mass range. To allow for axion-like particle sensitivity, the BREAD dish antenna was placed in a $3.9\mathrm{T}$ solenoid magnet at Argonne National Laboratory. In the presence of a magnetic field, axion-like dark matter converts to photons at the conductive surface of the reflector. The signal is focused onto a custom coaxial horn antenna and read out with a low-noise radio-frequency receiver. No evidence of axion-like dark matter was observed in this mass range and we place the most stringent laboratory constraints on the axion-photon coupling strength, $g_{a\gamma \gamma }$, in this mass range at 90\% confidence.

Comments: 9 pages, 3 figures matches published version