Speaker
Description
Axion-like particles (ALPs) are compelling dark matter candidates, particularly in the "ultralight mass regime." In this talk, I will discuss the theoretical framework for ALP interactions with Standard Model fields, emphasising the renormalization group (RG) running and low-energy matching in quantum field theory. Many quantum sensor experiments are designed to probe very light ALPs, which are especially sensitive to these effects due to large decay constants where running effects become significant. Furthermore, while linear axion interactions are dictated by their pseudoscalar nature, quadratic interactions resemble scalar interactions, leading to distinct experimental signatures. I will explore the discovery potential of various quantum technology-based experiments, including atomic clocks, interferometers, haloscopes, and fifth force searches. Finally, I will comment on the nonlinear behaviour of the ALP field near the Earth’s surface and identify the classes of experiments that could be impacted by this feature.
