Laser-interferometric detector for axions (LIDA): initial results and quantum enhancement

We present a novel type of direct detector for axions and axion-like particles. Our approach utilizes a high-finesse optical cavity, where the polarization axis of a linearly polarized laser beam undergoes rotation induced by the axion field of the galactic halo. In our first observing run, the detector reached a peak sensitivity of 1.44*10^(-10) GeV^(-1) (at a 95 % confidence level) to the axion-photon coupling strength in the mass range of 1.97-2.01 neV, establishing it as one of the most sensitive axion detectors currently available. We provide the latest update on the sensitivity figures and discuss our pathway towards surpassing the current sensitivity limits in the mass range from 10^(-8) eV down to 10^(-16) eV. This involves implementing a squeezed light source and adjusting the measurement band via the resonance separation in our cavity.