Axion quasiparticles for axion dark matter detection

Schütte-Engel, Jan; Marsh, David J.E.; Millar, Alexander J.; Sekine, Akihiko; Chadha-Day, Francesca; Hoof, Sebastian; Ali, Mazhar N.; Fong, Kin Chung; Hardy, Edward; Šmejkal, Libor

Abstract

It has been suggested that certain antiferromagnetic topological insulators contain axion quasiparticles (AQs), and that such materials could be used to detect axion dark matter (DM). The AQ is a longitudinal antiferromagnetic spin fluctuation coupled to the electromagnetic Chern-Simons term, which, in the presence of an applied magnetic field, leads to mass mixing between the AQ and the electric field. The electromagnetic boundary conditions and transmission and reflection coefficients are computed. A model for including losses into this system is presented, and the resulting linewidth is computed. It is shown how transmission spectroscopy can be used to measure the resonant frequencies and damping coefficients of the material, and demonstrate conclusively the existence of the AQ. The dispersion relation and boundary conditions permit resonant conversion of axion DM into THz photons in a material volume that is independent of the resonant frequency, which is tuneable via an applied magnetic field. A parameter study for axion DM detection is performed, computing boost amplitudes and bandwidths using realistic material properties including loss. The proposal could allow for detection of axion DM in the mass range between 1 and 10 meV using current and near future technology.

Citation

Schütte-Engel, J., Marsh, D. J., Millar, A. J., Sekine, A., Chadha-Day, F., Hoof, S., …Šmejkal, L. (2021). Axion quasiparticles for axion dark matter detection. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2021(08), Article 066. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2021/08/066

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 8, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Aug 31, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 9, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 31, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2021
• Issue: 08
• Article Number: 066
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2021/08/066
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1251177