This experiment detects photon-axion conversion using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, suggesting implications for dark matter research.
A novel experiment is introduced to detect photon-axion conversion independent of the dark-matter hypothesis in a broad mass-range called WISP Interferometer (WINTER). The setup consists of a free-space Mach-Zehnder-type interferometer incorporating an external magnetic field and vacuum in one of the arms, where photon-axion mixing occurs via the Primakoff effect and is detected through changes in amplitude. The expected axion-induced signal is then modulated by polarization changes. The experiment is designed to integrate a Fabry-Pérot cavity with a finesse of 10⁵ that will be operated in a vacuum environment, significantly enhancing the sensitivity. The setup is sensitive to photon-axion coupling strengths values gaγγ 5.5×10⁻¹⁵ GeV⁻¹ for axion masses up to 84.8 $μ$eV
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Batllori et al. (2025) studied this question.
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