Speaker
Description
The search for axion dark matter in the microwave regime demands detector technologies capable of resolving extraordinarily weak electromagnetic signals with near- or sub- quantum-limited sensitivity. The Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) aims to address this challenge by combining large-aperture electromagnetic collection concepts with state-of-the-art superconducting sensor technologies.
In contrast to resonant cavity experiments, BREAD explores a broadband detection strategy, enabling sensitivity over a wide frequency range without the need for mechanical tuning. This approach places stringent requirements on the detector: low noise, large bandwidth, and efficient coupling.
We present our current progress toward implementing superconducting detection schemes tailored for this purpose, specifically by integrating a Kinetic Inductance Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifier with a BREAD protoype searching for dark matter between 10-15 GHz. We also present other BREAD prototypes optimized for different frequency ranges from microwaves to the infrared, and discuss how different superconducting sensors including bolometers and photon counters could enable them to reach the DFSZ axion sensitivity.