BREAD: Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection

• Stefan Knirck (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory)

We present a novel dish antenna for broadband ~meV-eV range axion and wave-dark matter detection, which allows to utilize state-of-the-art high-field solenoidal magnets. At these masses it is difficult to scale up traditional resonator setups to the required volume. However, at metallic surfaces in a high magnetic field dark matter axions can convert to photons regardless of axion mass. These photons can be successively focused onto a detector (dish antenna concept). In this seminar we present progress on BREAD, a dish antenna proposal with a $\sim 10\,{\rm m}^2$ conversion area and a novel rotationally symmetric parabolic focusing reflector designed to take advantage of high-field solenoidal magnets. We discuss viable low-noise photon detectors and show progress towards first stage hidden photon pilot experiments for two distinct frequency ranges - GigaBREAD and InfraBREAD - with expected sensitivities to unexplored hidden photon couplings. We detail R&D on reflector characterization, horn antenna & sensor testing and signal readout. We also outline sensitivity estimates for future large-scale versions of BREAD.