Detecting the Coupling of Axion Dark Matter to Neutron Spins at Spallation Sources via Rabi Oscillation

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fierlinger, Peter, Sheng, Jie, Stadnik, Yevgeny V., Xing, Chuan-Yang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866916557868761088
author Fierlinger, Peter
Sheng, Jie
Stadnik, Yevgeny V.
Xing, Chuan-Yang
author_facet Fierlinger, Peter
Sheng, Jie
Stadnik, Yevgeny V.
Xing, Chuan-Yang
contents We propose a novel detection method for axion dark matter using the Rabi oscillation of neutron spins in beam-based measurements. If axions couple to neutron spins, a background oscillating axion dark matter field would drive transitions between spin-up and spin-down neutron states in a magnetic field when the axion particle energy matches the energy gap between the spin states. The transition can be detected in a double-Stern-Gerlach-type apparatus, with the first splitter producing a pure spin-polarized neutron beam and the second splitter selecting spin-flipped signals. Our approach offers enhanced detection capability for axions within the $10^{-12} - 10^{-10} \,$eV mass window with the capability to surpass the sensitivity of current laboratory experiments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_10832
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Detecting the Coupling of Axion Dark Matter to Neutron Spins at Spallation Sources via Rabi Oscillation
Fierlinger, Peter
Sheng, Jie
Stadnik, Yevgeny V.
Xing, Chuan-Yang
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Nuclear Experiment
Instrumentation and Detectors
We propose a novel detection method for axion dark matter using the Rabi oscillation of neutron spins in beam-based measurements. If axions couple to neutron spins, a background oscillating axion dark matter field would drive transitions between spin-up and spin-down neutron states in a magnetic field when the axion particle energy matches the energy gap between the spin states. The transition can be detected in a double-Stern-Gerlach-type apparatus, with the first splitter producing a pure spin-polarized neutron beam and the second splitter selecting spin-flipped signals. Our approach offers enhanced detection capability for axions within the $10^{-12} - 10^{-10} \,$eV mass window with the capability to surpass the sensitivity of current laboratory experiments.
title Detecting the Coupling of Axion Dark Matter to Neutron Spins at Spallation Sources via Rabi Oscillation
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Nuclear Experiment
Instrumentation and Detectors
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10832