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arXiv · 2509.16725

Broadband interferometry-based searches for photon-axion conversion in vacuum

Josep Maria Batllori·Dieter Horns·Marios Maroudas
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Abstract

A novel experiment is introduced to detect photon-axion conversion independent of the dark-matter hypothesis in a broad mass-range called WISP Interferometer (WINTER). The setup consists of a free-space Mach-Zehnder-type interferometer incorporating an external magnetic field and vacuum in one of the arms, where photon-axion mixing occurs via the Primakoff effect and is detected through changes in amplitude. The expected axion-induced signal is then modulated by polarization changes. The experiment is designed to integrate a Fabry-P\'erot cavity with a finesse of $10^{5}$ that will be operated in a vacuum environment, significantly enhancing the sensitivity. It is projected to reach the DFSZ theoretical line with photon-axion coupling sensitivities down to $g_{a\gamma\gamma}\simeq 3.7\times10^{-14}$ $\text{GeV}^{-1}$ for axion masses up to 380 $\mu$eV.

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Josep Maria Batllori, Dieter Horns, Marios Maroudas. 2025-09-20. Broadband interferometry-based searches for photon-axion conversion in vacuum. https://doi.org/10.1103/tpwx-n9ss

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