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Jihn E. Kim

Publications and source records attributed to Jihn E. Kim.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Extended High-Mass Axion Search with an Auxetically Tuned Higher-Order-Mode Cavity

Conventional high-mass axion haloscopes based on the TM$_{010}$ mode lose detection volume as the resonant frequency increases. We report an extended axion search using a dielectric-restored TM$_{020}$ cavity haloscope with symmetry-preserving auxetic tuning based on a single-degree-of-freedom mechanical architecture. Using a near-quantum-limited microwave receiver, we searched a frequency range of 4.98-5.07 GHz and exclude axion-photon couplings with sensitivity approaching the KSVZ benchmark. Together with two earlier searches, the present scans extend a multi-scan program based on this architecture, yielding nearly 300 MHz of contiguous high-mass axion coverage over 4.98-5.27 GHz, the first broad search reported with a single higher-order-mode haloscope. This work establishes higher-order-mode cavities as a practical, scalable route beyond the TM$_{010}$ volume penalty.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2026

Extended Haloscope Search and Exclusion of a Candidate Signal near 1.036 GHz

We report a follow-up axion haloscope search near 1.036 GHz that completes and extends our previous work [Phys. Rev. X 14, 031023 (2024)], in which a portion of the HEMT-based data could not be analyzed due to unrecorded experimental information. While recovering this dataset, we identified an excess near 1.036 GHz that satisfied our candidate-selection criteria, motivating dedicated validation studies, including independent cross-checks and re-examination with the original apparatus. The excess did not persist under these investigations and was not confirmed as an axion dark-matter signal. We subsequently extended the search over a 20-MHz band surrounding the candidate using a quantum-noise-limited amplifier, achieving sensitivity close to the Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnitsky benchmark. In the absence of a confirmed signal, we set improved 90% confidence-level upper limits on the axion-photon coupling over the frequency range 1.026-1.045 GHz. This work highlights the importance of robust candidate-validation strategies as haloscope searches approach discovery-level sensitivity.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2025

Search for high-frequency gravitational waves via re-analysis of cavity axion data

Monochromatic high-frequency gravitational waves (HFGW) provide a distinctive probe of new physics scenarios, most notably axion clouds around rotating black holes formed via superradiance. We reanalyzed data from the CAPP-12T MC (multi-cell) axion haloscope experiment [Phys. Rev. Lett. 133,051802 (2024)]. The study covers a continuous $2\,$MHz frequency span centered at $5.311\,$GHz. No rescan candidates were found, and we set 90% confidence-level exclusion limits on the gravitational-wave strain, reaching $h_0 \approx 3.9 \times 10^{-21}$ in the most sensitive regions of the sky. Interpreted in the context of black-hole superradiance from axion clouds, the results exclude black holes with mass $M_{\mathrm{BH}} \simeq 1.22 \times 10^{-6}\,M_\odot$ within distances of $O(10^{-2})\,$AU from Earth, under benchmark assumptions. This work demonstrates the potential of electromagnetic resonant cavities as novel detectors of monochromatic HFGW and motivates future searches for both long-lived and transient signals.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2025

Probing KSVZ Axion Dark Matter near 5.9 GHz Using a 8-Cell Cavity Haloscope

We report on a search for axion dark matter in the frequency range near 5.9 GHz, conducted using the haloscope technique. The experiment employed an 8-cell microwave resonator designed to extend the accessible frequency range by a multi-fold factor relative to conventional single-cell configurations, while maintaining a large detection volume. To enhance sensitivity, a flux-driven Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA) operating near the quantum noise limit was utilized, together with a sideband-summing method that coherently combines mirrored spectral components generated by the JPA. Data were acquired over the frequency range 5.83-5.94 GHz. With no statistically significant excess observed, we exclude axion-photon couplings $g_{aγγ}$ down to $1.2 \times 10^{-14}$ GeV$^{-1}$ at a 90% confidence level. The achieved sensitivity approaches the KSVZ benchmark prediction, setting the most stringent limits to date in this range.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2025

Axion Dark Matter Search with Near-KSVZ Sensitivity Using the TM$_{020}$ Mode

Dark matter remains one of the most profound mysteries in modern physics, with axions, a hypothetical particle proposed to resolve the strong CP problem, standing as a compelling candidate. Among various experimental strategies, cavity haloscopes currently offer the most sensitive method to detect axions, though their searches have largely been confined to axion masses below 10 $μ$eV. However, recent theoretical developments suggest that the axion mass lies beyond this range. Higher-order cavity modes have been explored as a methodological approach to expand the search range, albeit with limited success in achieving both high sensitivity and broad tunability. In this work, we present a sensitive search for axions with masses around 21 $μ$eV, utilizing the TM$_{020}$ mode of a cylindrical cavity, which incorporated an innovative tuning mechanism. Our results reached 1.7 times the KSVZ sensitivity over 100 MHz, representing a significant improvement in this mass range and contributing to the experimental search for axion dark matter at higher masses.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2024

Experimental search for invisible dark matter axions around 22 μeV

The axion has emerged as the most attractive solution to two fundamental questions in modern physics related to the charge-parity invariance in strong interactions and the invisible matter component of our universe. Over the past decade, there have been many theoretical efforts to constrain the axion mass based on various cosmological assumptions. Interestingly, different approaches from independent groups produce good overlap between 20 and 30 μeV. We performed an experimental search to probe the presence of dark matter axions within this particular mass region. The experiment utilized a multi-cell cavity haloscope embedded in a 12 T magnetic field to seek for microwave signals induced by the axion-photon coupling. The results ruled out the KSVZ axions as dark matter over a mass range between 21.86 and 22.00 μeV at a 90% confidence level. This represents a sensitive experimental search guided by specific theoretical predictions

hep-ex↗
arXiv2024

Extensive search for axion dark matter over 1\,GHz with CAPP's Main Axion eXperiment

We report an extensive high-sensitivity search for axion dark matter above 1\,GHz at the Center for Axion and Precision Physics Research (CAPP). The cavity resonant search, exploiting the coupling between axions and photons, explored the frequency (mass) range of 1.025\,GHz (4.24\,$μ$eV) to 1.185\,GHz (4.91\,$μ$eV). We have introduced a number of innovations in this field, demonstrating the practical approach of optimizing all the relevant parameters of axion haloscopes, extending presently available technology. The CAPP 12\,T magnet with an aperture of 320\,mm made of Nb$_3$Sn and NbTi superconductors surrounding a 37-liter ultralight-weight copper cavity is expected to convert DFSZ axions into approximately $10^2$ microwave photons per second. A powerful dilution refrigerator, capable of keeping the core system below 40\,mK, combined with quantum-noise limited readout electronics, achieved a total system noise of about 200\,mK or below, which corresponds to a background of roughly $4\times 10^3$ photons per second within the axion bandwidth. The combination of all those improvements provides unprecedented search performance, imposing the most stringent exclusion limits on axion--photon coupling in this frequency range to date. These results also suggest an experimental capability suitable for highly-sensitive searches for axion dark matter above 1\,GHz.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2023

Multiple-cell cavity design for high mass axion searches: an in-depth study

The invisible axion is a well-motivated hypothetical particle which could address two fundamental questions in modern physics - the CP symmetry problem in the strong interactions and the dark matter mystery of our universe. The plausible mass (frequency) range of the QCD axion as a dark matter candidate spans from ueV to meV (O(GHz) to O(THz)). The axion haloscope using a resonant cavity has provided the most sensitive search method in the microwave region. However, experimental searches have been limited to relatively low mass regions mainly due to the reduced cavity volume at high masses. As an effective approach for high-mass axion searches, a unique cavity design, featured by multiple identical cells divided by equidistant thin metal partitions in a single cylindrical cavity, was proposed and successfully demonstrated. We perform an in-depth study to characterize the multiple-cell cavity design and discuss the various advantages it offers for high-mass axion searches.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2022

Quintessential Axions

I review the dark energy solutions by a very light pseudoscalar called "quintessential axion". For the explicit breaking terms, we consider both the global anomaly U(1)$_{\rm global}\times$SU(2)$_W^2$ and the potential $ΔV$. At the field theory level, we will present a strategy for picking up one such pseudoscalar among plenty of pseudoscalars. At string level, numerous antisymmetric tensor fields are pseudoscalars. Including these, we present a confining force example via a $Z_{12-I}$ orbifold compactification of SO(32) heterotic string. In addition, we also aim to draw attention on almost massless mesons of confining nonabelian gauge group, which can be another motivation for introducing an additional confining force, to explain dark energy as the vacuum energy of these mesons.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2022

Quintessential Axions from a New Confining Force

Almost massless mesons created at the condensation scale of extra nonabelian gauge group can be candidates of dark energy source. This can be another motivation for introducing an additional confining force.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2021

Probing Neutrino Dipole Portal at COHERENT Experiment

Motivated by the first observation of coherent-elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering at the COHERENT experiment, we confront the neutrino dipole portal giving rise to the transition of the standard model neutrinos to sterile neutrinos with the recently released CENNS 10 data from the liquid argon as well as the CsI data of the COHERENT experiment. Performing statistical analysis of those data, we show how the transition magnetic moment can be constrained for the range of the sterile neutrino mass between 10 keV and 40 MeV.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2021

Electromagnetic properties of neutrinos from scattering on bound electrons in atom

We consider the effects of bound atomic electrons scattered by solar neutrinos due to the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos. This necessiate considering the recoil of atomic nucleus, which should be considered in the momentum conservation, but that effect to the energy conservation is negligible. This effect changes the kinematic behavior of the scattered electron compared to that scattered on free electrons. We apply this effect to the recent XENON1T data, but the bounds obtained from this is not very restrictive. We obtained the bounds: the (transition) magnetic moment $|f_{αβ}|\le 0.86\times 10^{-7}$ (times the electron Bohr magneton) and the charge radius $|\tilde{r}|< 4.30\times 10^{-17\,}{\rm cm}$. For a non-vanishing millicharge ($\varepsilon$), the allowed bound is shown in the $\tilde{r}^2-\varepsilon$ plane.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2021

R-parity from string compactification

The strategy for assigning $Z_{4R}$ parity in the string compactification is presented. For the visible sector, an anti-SU(5) (flipped-SU(5)) grand unification (GUT) model with three families is used to reduce the number of representations compared to the number in the minimal supersymmetric standard models (MSSMs). The SO(32) heterotic string is used to allow a large nonabelian gauge group SU($N$), $N\ge 9$, for the hidden sector such that the number of extra U(1) factors is small. A discrete subgroup of the gauge U(1)'s is defined as the $Z_{4R}$ parity. Spontaneous symmetry breaking of anti-SU(5) GUT is achieved by the vacuum expectation values of two index antisymmetric tensor Higgs fields ${\bf 10}_{+1}$ and $\overline{\bf 10}_{-1}$ that led to our word `anti-SU(5)'. In the illustrated example, the multiplicity 3 in one twisted sector allows the permutation symmetry $S_3$ that leads us to select the third family members and one MSSM pair of the Higgs quintets.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2021

Ultralight Axions Versus Primordial Black Holes

We reconsider entropy arguments which have been previously argued to support the idea that the dark matter constituents are primordial black holes with many solar masses. It has recently been shown that QCD axions which solve the strong CP problem may have masses $m_a$ in the extended range $10^{-3}eV > m_a > 10^{-33} eV$. Ultralight axions provide so many degrees of freedom that their entropy can exceed that of primordial black holes. This suggests that ultralight axions are more suited than primordial black holes to be constituents of dark matter.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2020

Grand unfication models from SO(32) heterotic string

Grand unification groups (GUTs) are constructed from SO(32) heterotic string via $\Z_{12-I}$ orbifold compactification. So far, most phenomenological studies from string compactification relied on $\EE8$ heterotic string, and this invites the SO(32) heterotic string very useful for future phenomenological studies. Here, spontaneous symmetry breaking is achieved by Higgsing of the anti-symmetric tensor representations of SU($N$). The anti-SU($N$) presented in this paper is a completely different class from the flipped-SU($N$)s from the spinor representations of SO($2N$). Here, we realize chiral representations: $\tsix\oplus 5\cdot\nineb $ for a SU(9) GUT and $3\{{\ten}'_L\oplus {\fiveb}'_L\}$ for a SU(5)$'$ GUT. In particular, we confirm that the non-Abelian anomalies of SU(9) gauge group vanish and hence our compactification scheme achieves the key requirement. We also present the Yukawa couplings, in particular for the heaviest fermion, $t$, and lightest fermions, neutrinos. In the supersymmetric version, we present a scenario how supersymmetry can be broken dynamically via the confining gauge group SU(9). Three families in the visible sector are interpreted as the chiral spectra of SU(5)$'$ GUT.

hep-th↗
arXiv2020

$L_μ-L_τ$ effects to quarks and leptons from flavor unification

In the family grand unification models (fGUTs), we propose that gauge U(1)'s beyond the minimal GUT gauge group are family gauge symmetries. For the symmetry $L_μ-L_τ$, i.e. $Q_{2}-Q_{3}$ in our case, to be useful for the LHC anomaly, we discuss an SU(9) fGUT and also present an example in Georgi's SU(11) fGUT.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2020

On the progenitor quark mass matrix

We determined the quark mass matrix in terms of a small expansion parameter $\sqrt{\varepsilon}$, which gives correctly all the quark masses and the CKM matrix elements at the electroweak (EW) scale, and obtain a progenitor form at the GUT scale by running the EW scale mass matrix. Finally, a possible texture form for the progenitor quark mass matrix is suggested.

hep-ph↗