Search

In this paper we will describe the characterisation of a rf detection chain based on a travelling wave parametric amplifier (TWPA). The detection chain is meant to be used for dark matter axion searches and thus it is mounted coupled to a high Q microwave resonant cavity. A system noise temperature $T_{\rm sys} = (3.3 \pm 0.1$) K has been measured at a frequency of 10.77 GHz, using a novel scheme allowing measurement of $T_{\rm sys} $ exactly at the cavity output port., Comment: 8 pages

This article presents the measurements of the luminescence and scintillation under X-ray of undoped, Si-doped, and Si, B codoped gallium-arsenide (GaAs) samples at cryogenic temperature over a wide infrared (IR) region using Si and InGaAs photodetectors. The undoped GaAs has a narrow emission band at 838 nm (1.48 eV) and a low light output of about 2 ph/keV. The GaAs:Si has three broad luminescence bands at 830 nm (1.49 eV), 1070 nm (1.16 eV), and 1335 nm (0.93 eV) and a light output of about 67 ph/keV. GaAs:(Si, B) has four luminescence bands at 860 nm (1.44 eV), 930 nm (1.33 eV), 1070 nm (1.16 eV), and 1335 nm (0.93 eV) with a light yield of approximately 119 ph/keV. With advances in photodetection, GaAs promises to be a useful cryogenic scintillator for the detection of electron recoils from MeV/c2 dark matter.

A haloscope of the QUAX--$a\ensuremath{\gamma}$ experiment composed of an oxygen-free high thermal conductivity-Cu cavity inside an 8.1 T magnet and cooled to $\ensuremath{\sim}200\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mK}$ is put in operation for the search of galactic axion with mass ${m}_{a}\ensuremath{\simeq}43\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$. The power emitted by the resonant cavity is amplified with a Josephson parametric amplifier whose noise fluctuations are at the standard quantum limit. With the data collected in about 1 h at the cavity frequency ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{c}=10.40176\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GHz}$, the experiment reaches the sensitivity necessary for the detection of galactic QCD-axion, setting the 90% confidence level limit to the axion-photon coupling ${g}_{a\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}}l0.766\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.

The realization and characterization of a high quality factor resonator composed of two hollow-dielectric cylinders with its pseudo-TM030 mode resonating at 10.9 GHz frequency is discussed. The quality factor was measured at the temperatures 300 K and 4 K obtaining Q 300 K = ( 150 , 000 ± 2 , 000 ) and Q 4 K = ( 720 , 000 ± 10 , 000 ) respectively, the latter corresponding to a gain of one order of magnitude with respect to a traditional copper cylindrical-cavity with the corresponding TM010 mode resonating at the same frequency. The implications to dark-matter axion-searches with cavity experiments are discussed showing that the gain in quality factor is not spoiled by a reduced geometrical coupling C 030 of the cavity mode to the axion field. This reduction effect is estimated to be at most 20%. Numerical simulations show that frequency tuning of several hundreds MHz is feasible.

The spin resonance of electrons can be coupled to a microwave cavity mode to obtain a photon-magnon hybrid system. These quantum systems are widely studied for both fundamental physics and technological quantum applications. In this paper, the behavior of a large number of ferrimagnetic spheres coupled to a single cavity is tested. We use second-quantization modeling of harmonic oscillators to theoretically describe our experimental setup and understand the influence of several parameters. The magnon-polariton dispersion relation is used to characterize the system, with a particular focus on the vacuum Rabi mode splitting due to multiple spheres. We combine the results obtained with simple hybrid systems to analyze the behavior of a more complex one and show that it can be devised in such a way to minimize the degrees of freedom needed to completely describe it. By studying single-sphere coupling two possible size effects related to the sample diameter have been identified, while multiple-sphere configurations reveal how to upscale the system. This characterization is useful for the implementation of an axion-to-electromagnetic field transducer in a ferromagnetic haloscope for dark matter searches. Our dedicated setup, consisting of ten 2-mm-diameter yttrium iron garnet spheres coupled to a copper microwave cavity, is used for this aim and studied at millikelvin temperatures. Moreover, we show that applications of optimally controlled hybrid systems can be foreseen for setups embedding a large number of samples.

We report the analysis of paired photon pulses arising from two cascading transitions in continuously pumped Erbium-doped YLiF$_4$ 1% and 0.01% crystals at 1.6 K. The dependence of the pulse peak intensity on the squared number of involved Erbium ions, between 10$^{11}$ and 10$^{13}$, definitely identifies the cooperative nature of the two pulsed emissions, that are generated by the subsequent, spontaneous formation of coherent states. The observed fluctuations of the time interval between the paired pulses and, most importantly, its correlation with the second pulse duration, demonstrate that the Erbium ions coherence is indeed seeded by vacuum fluctuations.

It is a straightforward result of electromagnetism that dipole oscillators radiate more strongly when they are synchronized, and that if there are $N$ dipoles, the overall emitted intensity scales with $N^2$. In atomic physics, such an enhanced radiative property appears when coherence among two-level identical atoms is established, and is well-known as "superradiance" \cite{Dicke:1954aa}. In superfluorescence (SF), atomic coherence develops via a self-organisation process stemming from the common radiated field, starting from a incoherently prepared population inversion \cite{Bonifacio:1975aa}. First demonstrated in a gas \cite{Skribanowitz:1973} and later in condensed matter systems \cite{Florian:1984}, its potential is currently being investigated in the fields of ultranarrow linewidth laser development for fundamental tests in physics \cite{Meiser:2009,Meiser:2010,Bohnet:2012aa,Norcia:2016, Norcia:2018}, and for the development of devices enabling entangled multi-photon quantum light sources \cite{Raino:2018aa,Angerer:2018aa}. A barely developed aspect in superradiance is related to the properties of the dipole array that generates the pulsed radiation field. In this work we establish the experimental conditions for formation of a macroscopic dipole via superfluorescence, involving the remarkable number of $4\times10^{12}$ atoms. Even though rapidly evolving in time, it represents a flexible test-bed in quantum optics. Self-driven atom dynamics, without the mediation of cavity QED nor quantum dots or quantum well structures, is observed in a cryogenically-cooled rare-earth doped material. We present clear evidence of a decay rate that is enhanced by more than 1-million times compared to that of independently emitting atoms. We thoroughly resolve the dynamics by directly measuring the intensity of the emitted radiation as a function of time.

A ferromagnetic axion haloscope searches for Dark Matter in the form of axions by exploiting their interaction with electronic spins. It is composed of an axion-to-electromagnetic field transducer coupled to a sensitive rf detector. The former is a photon-magnon hybrid system, and the latter is based on a quantum-limited Josephson parametric amplifier. The hybrid system consists of ten 2.1 mm diameter YIG spheres coupled to a single microwave cavity mode by means of a static magnetic field. Our setup is the most sensitive rf spin-magnetometer ever realized. The minimum detectable field is $5.5\times10^{-19}\,$T with 9 h integration time, corresponding to a limit on the axion-electron coupling constant $g_{aee}\le1.7\times10^{-11}$ at 95% CL. The scientific run of our haloscope resulted in the best limit on DM-axions to electron coupling constant in a frequency span of about 120 MHz, corresponding to the axion mass range $42.4$-$43.1\,\mu$eV. This is also the first apparatus to perform an axion mass scanning by changing the static magnetic field., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

Low energy threshold detectors are necessary in many frontier fields of the experimental physics. In particular these are extremely important for probing Dark Matter (DM) possible candidates. We present a novel detection approach that exploits the energy levels of atoms embedded into solid crystals of inert gases maintained at low temperature. We exploit laser-assisted transitions that are triggered by the absorption of the incident particle in the material and leads to a photon or an electron emission . Two possible schemes are thus possible: one is based on light signal while the other takes advantage of high efficiency-in vacuum single-electron detection using microchannel plate or channeltron sensors. Through these schemes, we could be able to detect low energy release in the range from sub eV to tens of eV in large volume crystals opening thus the possibility to investigate light DM candidates.

Searches for dark matter axion involve the use of microwave resonant cavities operating in a strong magnetic field. Detector sensitivity is directly related to the cavity quality factor, which is limited, however, by the presence of the external magnetic field. In this paper we present a cavity of novel design whose quality factor is not affected by a magnetic field. It is based on a photonic structure by the use of sapphire rods. The quality factor at cryogenic temperature is in excess of $5 \times 10^5$ for a selected mode., 6 pages, 7 figures

Low energy threshold detectors are necessary in many frontier fields of experimental physics. In particular, these are extremely important for probing possible dark matter (DM) candidates. We present a novel detection approach that exploits the energy levels of atoms maintained at cryogenic temperature. We exploit laser-assisted transitions that are triggered by the absorption of the incident particle in the material and lead to the emission of a fluorescent photon or an electron. In this approach, the incident particle will in fact excite the first low-lying energy level that is then up-converted using an opportune narrow-band laser system. Two different detection schemes are thus possible in our active material: one is based on a photon signal while the other takes advantage of high efficiency in-vacuum charge detection.

A photon-magnon hybrid system can be realised by coupling the electron spin resonance of a magnetic material to a microwave cavity mode. The quasiparticles associated with the system dynamics are the cavity magnon polaritons, which arise from the mixing of strongly coupled magnons and photons. We illustrate how these particles can be used to probe the magnetisation of a sample with a remarkable sensitivity, devising suitable spin-magnetometers which ultimately can be used to directly assess oscillating magnetic fields. Specifically, the capability of cavity magnon polaritons of converting magnetic excitations to electromagnetic ones, allows for translating to magnetism the quantum-limited sensitivity reached by state-of-the-art electronics. Here we employ hybrid systems composed of microwave cavities and ferrimagnetic spheres, to experimentally implement two types of novel spin-magnetometers., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures

The QUAX proposal studies the interaction of dark matter axions with electrons. As the effect of axions can be described as an effective magnetic field, the signal is a magnetization oscillation of a sample. To detect it, the material is placed in a resonant cavity and polarized with a static magnetic field. Here we describe the operation of such a device, with a resonance frequency of 14 GHz, corresponding to an axion mass ma = 58 μeV. Eventually some recent developments on the resonant cavities design and test are detailed.

Low energy threshold detectors are necessary in many frontier fields of the experimental physics. In particular these are extremely important for probing Dark Matter (DM) possible candidates. We present the activity of the DEMIURGOS R&D project, a novel detection approach that exploits Rare Gas crystals maintained at low temperature both pure and doped. In both the schemes, the detection approach takes advantage of the single-electron detection combined with a very low dark count rate typical of microchannel plate or channeltron sensors. Moreover, to ensure electrons’ drift, we need high quality crystals with an impurity level lower than ppb especially for high electronegativity atoms. Through these schemes, we could be able to detect low energy release in the range sub eV-tens of eV in large volume crystals opening thus the possibility to investigate lighter DM candidates and other feeble interacting phenomena.

The potential of photon-magnon hybrid systems as building blocks for quantum information science has been widely demonstrated, and it is still the focus of much research. We leverage the strengths of this unique heterogeneous physical system in the field of precision physics beyond the standard model, where the sensitivity to the so-called "invisibles" is currently being boosted by quantum technologies. Here, we demonstrate that quanta of spin waves, driven by tiniest, effective magnetic field, can be detected in a large frequency band using a hybrid system as transducer. This result can be applied to the search of cosmological signals related, for example, to cold Dark Matter, which may directly interact with magnons. Our model of the transducer is based on a second-quantisation two-oscillators hybrid system, it matches the observations, and can be easily extended to thoroughly describe future large-scale ferromagnetic haloscopes., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

In this work, we experimentally explore the possibility to realize a sensor whose basic building block is a laser cavity that hosts a target crystal for the incident ionizing radiation. Two possible detection mechanisms are considered: a process of coherent scintillation related to the rapid decay via stimulated emission of the excited atomic or molecular levels of the target material and the activation of states that absorb intracavity photons. We use a solid-state laser to study the dynamic response of our prototype sensor and the related intrinsic limitations and demonstrate capability to detect x-ray energy down to 10 GeV.

To account for the dark matter content in our Universe, post-inflationary scenarios predict for the QCD axion a mass in the range $(10-10^3)\,\mu\mbox{eV}$. Searches with haloscope experiments in this mass range require the monitoring of resonant cavity modes with frequency above 5\,GHz, where several experimental limitations occur due to linear amplifiers, small volumes, and low quality factors of Cu resonant cavities. In this paper we deal with the last issue, presenting the result of a search for galactic axions using a haloscope based on a $36\,\mbox{cm}^3$ NbTi superconducting cavity. The cavity worked at $T=4\,\mbox{K}$ in a 2\,T magnetic field and exhibited a quality factor $Q_0= 4.5\times10^5$ for the TM010 mode at 9\,GHz. With such values of $Q$ the axion signal is significantly increased with respect to copper cavity haloscopes. Operating this setup we set the limit $g_{a\gamma\gamma}

We present experimental results concerning the direct excitation of the magnetisation in a photon-magnon hybrid system composed of a microwave cavity and an embedded yttrium iron garnet (YIG) sphere. An 11 ps ultrafast pulsed laser, with wavelength of 1064 nm outside the YIG transparence window, directly excite the magnon modes. We measure the energy deposited in the Kittel mode of magnetisation by exploiting its coupling to the TE102 mode of the rectangular microwave cavity in the strong coupling regime. Energy collection is performed by a standard rf detection chain reading an antenna matched to the cavity resonance. This technique can prove to be essential in the study of the dynamics of cavity magnon-polaritons, finding application in dark matter axion searches and future magnon based quantum information studies.

Dark matter (DM) represents one of the most intriguing challenges of modern physics, both for the theoretical predictions and for the experimental setups. The search for the possible DM component candidates regards a wide range of objects and of energy values. In order to detect processes related to very weak interactions, as expected in these cases, it is necessary to improve the performances of the available detectors making them more efficient in terms of energy threshold and mass. Here we present a research activity aimed at the development of a novel type of detector based on laser interrogation of atomic energy levels for species that have been loaded in a solid matrix of a non interacting material at very low temperatures. The laser assisted transitions are only promoted when an incident particle is absorbed in the material, releasing its energy to the embedded atoms. The detection can be obtained via both optical and electronic methods.

The emission spectrum of Erbium-doped fluoride crystals excited by soft X-rays in the (400–1700) nm wavelength range is investigated between 3.2 K and 300 K. The largest component of the crystals emission is observed in the infrared range, which corresponds to a light yield of several tens of photons/keV. Such a large value is caused by energy transfer processes between the Erbium ions which convert the excitation of a dopant ion at high energies into the emission of multiple infrared photons. The present results show that this mechanism could be exploited to realize scintillators of high light yield.

Axions, originally proposed to solve the strong CP problem of quantum chromodynamics, emerge now as leading candidates of WISP dark matter. The rich phenomenology associated to the light and stable QCD axion can be described as an effective magnetic field that can be experimentally investigated. For the QUAX experiment, dark matter axions are searched by means of their resonant interactions with electronic spins in a magnetized sample. In principle, axion-induced magnetization changes can be detected by embedding a sample in an rf cavity in a static magnetic field. In this work we describe the operation of a prototype ferromagnetic haloscope, with a sensitivity limited by thermal fluctuations and receiver noise. With a preliminary dark matter search, we are able to set an upper limit on the coupling constant of DFSZ axions to electrons $$g_{aee}

The axion is one of the main candidates of dark matter and was originally introduced to solve the strong CP problem of quantum chromodynamics. Here we present a proposal to search for QCD axions with mass in the 200 μeV range, assuming that they make a dominant component of dark matter. Since the axion can couple to the spin of a fermion, its presence can be seen as the existence of an equivalent rf field with frequency and amplitude fixed by the axion mass and coupling, respectively. This equivalent magnetic field would produce spin flips in a magnetic sample placed inside a static magnetic field, which determines the resonant interaction at the Larmor frequency. Spin flips would subsequently emit radio frequency photons that can be detected by a suitable quantum counter in an ultra-cryogenic environment. An updated report of the experimental results will be presented, together with a preliminary measurement and a projection of future improvements.

Low energy threshold detectors are necessary in many frontier fields of the experimental physics. In this work, we present a novel detection approach based on pure or doped matrices of inert gases solidified at cryogenic temperatures. The small energy release of the incident particle can be transferred directly (in pure crystals) or through a laser-driven ionization (in doped materials) to the electrons of the medium that are then converted into free electrons. The charge collection process of the electrons that consists in their drift within the crystal and their extraction through the solid–vacuum interface gives rise to an electric signal that we exploit for preliminary tests of charge collection and crystal quality. Such tests are carried out in different matrices of neon and methane using an UV-assisted apparatus for electron injection in crystals.

We present a detection scheme to search for QCD axion dark matter, that is based on a direct interaction between axions and electrons explicitly predicted by DFSZ axion models. The local axion dark matter field shall drive transitions between Zeeman-split atomic levels separated by the axion rest mass energy m a c2. Axion-related excitations are then detected with an upconversion scheme involving a pump laser that converts the absorbed axion energy (~hundreds of μeV) to visible or infrared photons, where single photon detection is an established technique. The proposed scheme involves rare-earth ions doped into solid-state crystalline materials, and the optical transitions take place between energy levels of 4f N electron configuration. Beyond discussing theoretical aspects and requirements to achieve a cosmologically relevant sensitivity, especially in terms of spectroscopic material properties, we experimentally investigate backgrounds due to the pump laser at temperatures in the range 1.9 − 4.2 K. Our results rule out excitation of the upper Zeeman component of the ground state by laser-related heating effects, and are of some help in optimizing activated material parameters to suppress the multiphonon-assisted Stokes fluorescence.

The QCD axion is an hypothetical particle introduced to solve the strong CP problem of standard model of particle physics and is of interest as a possible component of cold dark matter. In the axion scenario, J.E. Moody and F. Wilczek showed that a new macroscopic long-range force, mediated by axion exchange, acts on electron spins, and that such force can be described in terms of an effective magnetic field. The QUAX-g$_p$g$_s$ experiment, carried out at INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, is designed to search for the effects on magnetized samples of the effective field produced by unpolarized mass sources. As this field is macroscopic, it can be detected by measuring the change of magnetization of a paramagnetic Gadolinium silicate (GSO) crystal cooled at liquid helium temperature. The axion effective field induced magnetization can be detected with a SQUID magnetometer. By varying the position of the of source masses, the induced GSO magnetization is modulated at acoustic frequencies. Although the full QUAX-g$_p$g$_s$ sensitivity has not been yet exploited, we are able to measure a magnetization of $10^{-17}~$T at few tens of Hz. With this sensitivity we expect to further improve the upper limit of the coupling of the predicted long-range force in the $10^{-3}$ to $1~$m interval., Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods A

We present a more stringent upper limit on long-range axion-mediated forces obtained by the QUAX-g$_p$g$_s$ experiment, located at the INFN - Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. We investigate the possible coupling between the electron spins of a paramagnetic GSO crystal and unpolarized nucleons of lead disks by measuring variations of GSO magnetization with a dc-SQUID magnetometer. Such an induced magnetization can be interpreted as the effect of a long-range spin dependent interaction mediated by axions or Axion Like Particles (ALPs). The corresponding coupling strength is proportional to the CP violating term $g_p^eg_s^N$, i.e. the product of the pseudoscalar and scalar coupling constants of electron and nucleon, respectively. Previous upper limits are improved by one order of magnitude, namely $g_p^eg_s^N/(\hbar c) \le 4.3\times10^{-30}$ at 95% confidence level, in the interaction range $10^{-3}$ m $, Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, Physics Letters B, 2017

We demonstrate an all-optical method for manipulating the magnetization in a 1-mm YIG (yttrium-iron-garnet) sphere placed in a $\sim0.17\,$T uniform magnetic field. An harmonic of the frequency comb delivered by a multi-GHz infrared laser source is tuned to the Larmor frequency of the YIG sphere to drive magnetization oscillations, which in turn give rise to a radiation field used to thoroughly investigate the phenomenon. The radiation damping issue that occurs at high frequency and in the presence of highly magnetizated materials, has been overcome by exploiting magnon-photon strong coupling regime in microwave cavities. Our findings demonstrate an effective technique for ultrafast control of the magnetization vector in optomagnetic materials via polarization rotation and intensity modulation of an incident laser beam. We eventually get a second-order susceptibility value of $\sim10^{-7}$ cm$^2$/MW for single crystal YIG., 5 pages, 4 figures

We present a proposal to search for QCD axions with mass in the 200 $\mu$eV range, assuming that they make a dominant component of dark matter. Due to the axion-electron spin coupling, their effect is equivalent to the application of an oscillating rf field with frequency and amplitude fixed by the axion mass and coupling respectively. This equivalent magnetic field would produce spin flips in a magnetic sample placed inside a static magnetic field, which determines the resonant interaction at the Larmor frequency. Spin flips would subsequently emit radio frequency photons that can be detected by a suitable quantum counter in an ultra-cryogenic environment. This new detection technique is crucial to keep under control the thermal photon background which would otherwise produce a too large noise., Comment: To appear on Physics of the Dark Universe

The feasibility of an electron-polarized, active target to be used as detector in neutrino scattering experiments, suggested by several theoretical papers, has been investigated. We report on the properties of the paramagnetic crystal Gd2SiO5 (GSO), in which 7.7% of the total number of electrons present can be polarized by lowering the temperature and applying an intense external magnetic field. The material magnetic susceptibility has been measured down to cryogenic temperatures showing that for H¼ 5 T and T¼ 4 K about 80% of the maximum allowed magnetization can be attained. Also the spectral and time response of the crystal have been characterized and the scintillation process has been studied using a photomultiplier to measure the response to gamma rays irradiation and cosmic rays operating the GSO crystal at 13.5 K. An avalanche photodiode (APD) readout of the scintillation signal from the GSO crystal has also been performed, since the magnetic field-independent response of this device allows it to be placed close to the crystal in the cryogenic environment.

We propose a new technique to measure the infrared scintillation light yield of rare earth (RE) doped crystals by comparing it to near UV-visible scintillation of a calibrated Pr:(Lu$_{0.75}$Y$_{0.25}$)$_{3}$Al$_5$O$_{12}$ sample. As an example, we apply this technique to provide the light yield in visible and infrared range up to \SI{1700}{nm} of this crystal., Comment: submitted to NIM A

A silicon p-i-n diode of thickness 1 cm has been studied experimentally at liquid helium temperature. This preliminary study is aimed at the construction of a much bigger detector to detect low energy neutrino events.

We show that a very thin conducting film (whose thickness can be much smaller than the skin depth), placed nearby a wall of an electromagnetic cavity, can produce the same shift of the resonance frequency as a bulk conducting slab, provided the displacement of the film from the wall is much bigger than the skin depth. We derive a simple analytical formula for the frequency shift and compare it with exact numerical calculations and experimental data.

Aim of the QUAX (QUaerere AXion) proposal is to exploit the interaction of cosmological axions with the spin of electrons in a magnetized sample. Their effect is equivalent to the application of an oscillating rf field with frequency and amplitude which are fixed by axion mass and coupling constant, respectively. The rf receiver module of the QUAX detector consists of magnetized samples with the Larmor resonance frequency tuned to the axion mass by a polarizing static magnetic field. The interaction of electrons with the axion-equivalent rf field produces oscillations in the total magnetization of the samples. To amplify such a tiny field, a pump field at the same frequency is applied in a direction orthogonal to the polarizing field. The induced oscillatory magnetization along the polarizing field is measured by a SQUID amplifier operated at its quantum noise level., Comment: 5 pages, Contribution for the proceedings of the TAUP2015, International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, 7-11 September 2015, Torino, Italy

The Casimir effect is a well-known macroscopic consequence of quantum vacuum fluctuations, but whereas the static effect (Casimir force) has long been observed experimentally, the dynamic Casimir effect is up to now undetected. From an experimental viewpoint a possible detection would imply the vibration of a mirror at gigahertz frequencies. Mechanical motions at such frequencies turn out to be technically unfeasible. Here we present a different experimental scheme where mechanical motions are avoided, and the results of laboratory tests showing that the scheme is practically feasible. We think that at present this approach gives the only possibility of detecting this phenomenon., Comment: Submitted to the Physical Review Letters. RevTeX. 4 pages, 2 figures

Generalizing Sikivie's approach (Sikivie 2014 Phys. Rev. Lett.113 201301), according to which dark matter axions may induce transitions between Zeeman states in an atomic system, an experiment based on a molecular gas is proposed for a search in the axion mass range between 1.4 and 1.9 meV. In particular, a 16O2 sample is brought to the temperature of 280 mK via buffer-gas cooling and then subjected to an external magnetic field; axion-driven transitions are eventually detected by resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionization spectroscopy.

We report on a novel electro-optic device for the diagnostics of high repetition rate laser systems. It is composed of a microwave receiver and of a second order nonlinear crystal, whose irradiation with a train of short laser pulses produces a time-dependent polarization in the crystal itself as a consequence of optical rectification. This process gives rise to the emission of microwave radiation that is detected by a receiver and is analyzed to infer the repetition rate and intensity of the pulses. We believe that this new method may overcome some of the limitations of photodetection techniques., Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Review of Scientific Instruments, to appear February 2014

We present a preliminary study to develop a large area photodetector, based on a semiconductor crystal placed inside a superconducting resonant cavity. Laser pulses are detected through a variation of the cavity impedance, as a consequence of the conductivity change in the semiconductor. A novel method, whereby the designed photodetector is simulated by finite element analysis, makes it possible to perform pulse-height spectroscopy on the reflected microwave signals. We measure an energy sensitivity of 100 fJ in the average mode without the employment of low noise electronics and suggest possible ways to further reduce the single-shot detection threshold, based on the results of the described method.

We report about a novel technique to generate microwave radiation by the irradiation of a nonlinear optical crystal with uniformly spaced, ultrashort optical pulses delivered by a mode-locked laser. We study systematically the laser polarization and intensity dependence of the microwave signal to conclusively show that it is a nonlinear phenomenon and that it originates from optical rectification. The measurements have been conducted using KTP, LBO and ZnSe crystals. The observed pulsed microwave signals are harmonically related to the laser pulses repetition rate, a feature that can be exploited to develop an innovative ultrafast laser detector.

We report measurements of microwave (RF) generation in the centimeter band accomplished by irradiating a nonlinear KTiOPO$_4$ (KTP) crystal with a home-made, infrared laser at $1064\,$nm as a result of optical rectification (OR). The laser delivers pulse trains of duration up to $1\,\mu$s. Each train consists of several high-intensity pulses at an adjustable repetition rate of approximately $ 4.6\,$GHz. The duration of the generated RF pulses is determined by that of the pulse trains. We have investigated both microwave- and second harmonic (SHG) generation as a function of the laser intensity and of the orientation of the laser polarization with respect to the crystallographic axes of KTP.

In this paper we present theoretical and experimental studies of the modifications of the thermal spectrum inside a microwave resonator due to a parametric amplification process. Both the degenerate and nondegenerate amplifiers are discussed. Theoretical calculations are compared with measurements performed with a microwave cavity parametric amplifier

In this paper, we present the experimental study of a single-mode thermal field carried out using a microwave parametric amplifier tuned at 1.5 GHz and working at room temperature. The parametric amplifier is based on a variable capacitance diode placed inside a microwave resonant cavity. The measured distribution of the thermal photons inside the resonator follows the expected Bose–Einstein distribution probability.

We report on the experimental investigation of the efficiency of some nonlinear crystals to generate microwave (RF) radiation as a result of optical rectification (OR) when irradiated with intense pulse trains delivered by a mode-locked laser at $1064\,$nm. We have investigated lithium triborate (LBO), lithium niobate (LiNbO$_3$), zinc selenide (ZnSe), and also potassium titanyl orthophosphate (KTP) for comparison with previous measurements. The results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions based on the form of the second-order nonlinear susceptibility tensor. For some crystals we investigated also the second harmonic generation (SHG) to cross check the theoretical model. We confirm the theoretical prediction that OR leads to the production of higher order RF harmonics that are overtones of the laser repetition rate., Comment: accepted for publication in Journal of Optics, in press

The use of radio frequencies (RF) superconducting re-entrant cavities has been suggested in the framework of some research to detect photon generation from the vacuum, due to the dynamical Casimir effect. A thin semiconducting slab, put inside the cavity, will be excited by a train of laser pulses of a frequency twice the resonant frequency of the cavity, so that a periodic modulation of the dielectric constant of the slab will be realized. In order to produce a RF cavity that can safely work at temperatures larger than 4 K, we have designed and constructed a MgB2 re-entrant cavity having a resonant frequency in the range of 2-3 GHz. The cavity is made by a cylindrical cup of about 40 mm of internal diameter and 40 mm of height and on its base is standing a cylindrical coaxial nose on which the semiconductor slab will be deposited. The details of the construction of the MgB2 cavity will be presented as well as the measurements of its quality factor, as a function of the temperature.

We describe recent improvements in the development of the high power laser system used in the motion induced radiation (MIR) experiment to amplify electromagnetic fields inside a microwave cavity. The improvements made on the oscillator stabilization, the pulse train shaping device, and the spatial beam uniformity are reported.