Speaker
Description
The minimum axion mass detectable by existing photonic dark matter searches is set by the detector's frequency and hence size, which places the lower limit around $10^{-7}$ eV, leaving the ultra-light dark matter (ULDM) parameter space relatively unexplored. In this work, a new class of electromagnetic resonator is described; the Anyon Cavity Resonator, which has the potential to couple to ULDM axions. This is possible due to the existence of a single electromagnetic mode with non-zero helicity, which is generated in vacuo through a pure photonic magneto-electric coupling of a transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) mode. The resonator is based on twisted hollow structures that possess mirror-asymmetry. The origin of these high helicity modes is demonstrated using finite element simulation. It is predicted that these cavities will have the capability to search for dark matter down to $10^{-24}$ eV with a minimum coupling strength of $10^{-15.8}$ GeV${}^{-1}$; covering a completely unexplored region of parameter space. Further, the generation of a topologically protected Berry phase is successfully measured in Möbius cavities, which are formed by bending the aforementioned twisted hollow structures around on themselves to form a ring.
