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Analytical study of birefringent cavities for axionlike dark matter search

Tadashi Kuramoto1,2,3,*, Yasutaka Imai1, Takahiko Masuda1,†, Yutaka Shikano4,5,6,‡, Sayuri Takatori1, and Satoshi Uetake1,§

  • *Contact author: tkuramot@post.kek.jp
  • †Contact author: masuda@okayama-u.ac.jp
  • ‡Contact author: yshikano@cs.tsukuba.ac.jp
  • §Contact author: uetake@okayama-u.ac.jp
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 055009 – Published 4 March, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/r7dw-3ngg

Abstract

Light polarization plays a crucial role in optical-cavity experiments; however, mirror birefringence presents a significant challenge that must be addressed carefully. In this study, a rigorous, nonperturbative framework is developed to quantify birefringence effects by incorporating variations in reflectance and polarization misalignment. We analyze the impact of this framework on the sensitivity of axionlike particle (ALP) dark matter searches. The results show that both birefringence and misalignment contribute to sensitivity degradation in the low-mass regime; however, the adverse effects of misalignment can be mitigated by selecting a postselection angle greater than the misalignment angle. Furthermore, birefringence produces an additional resonance peak in the high-mass region, which remains largely unaffected by misalignment and postselection variations. This rigorous framework underscores the importance of considering birefringence in high-precision optical-cavity experiments for ALP detection.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 055009– Published 4 March, 2026
  • Received 20 September 2025
  • Accepted 12 January 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

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