- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine

Physical Review Letters

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Open Access

Axion Dark Matter Search with Sensitivity near the Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov Benchmark Using the TM020 Mode

Sungjae Bae1,2,3,*, Junu Jeong2,4,*, Younggeun Kim2,5,6,*, SungWoo Youn1,2,†, Jinsu Kim1,2, Arjan F. van Loo7,8, Yasunobu Nakamura7,8, Seonjeong Oh1,2, Taehyeon Seong1,2 et al.

Sergey Uchaikin1,2, Jihn E. Kim9, and Yannis K. Semertzidis2,3

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: swyoun@ibs.re.kr
PDF

Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 091804 – Published 26 August, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/f11t-qy8z

Abstract

Axions, originally proposed to resolve the CP problem in the strong interaction, remain a leading dark matter candidate. While cavity haloscopes offer the most sensitive technique for detecting axions, searches have largely been limited to masses below 10  μeV. We report a sensitive search for axion dark matter with masses around 21  μeV, utilizing the TM020 mode of a cylindrical cavity equipped with an innovative tuning mechanism. Our search achieved a sensitivity of 1.7× the Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov benchmark over a 100-MHz range, representing a significant advance in this mass range. These results demonstrate that higher-order modes provide a viable strategy for extending haloscope searches into previously unexplored higher-mass regions.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (80)

  1. G. Bertone and D. Hooper, Rev. Mod. Phys. 90, 045002 (2018).
  2. R. D. Peccei and H. R. Quinn, Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 1440 (1977).
  3. J. E. Kim, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 103 (1979).
  4. M. Shifman, A. Vainshtein, and V. Zakharov, Nucl. Phys. B166, 493 (1980).
  5. A. R. Zhitnitsky, Sov. J. Nucl. Phys. 31, 260 (1980).
  6. M. Dine, W. Fischler, and M. Srednicki, Phys. Lett. 104B, 199 (1981).
  7. J. Preskill, M. B. Wise, and F. Wilczek, Phys. Lett. 120B, 127 (1983).
  8. L. Abbott and P. Sikivie, Phys. Lett. 120B, 133 (1983).
  9. M. Dine and W. Fischler, Phys. Lett. 120B, 137 (1983).
  10. C. O’Hare, cajohare/axionlimits: Axionlimits, https://cajohare.github.io/AxionLimits/ (2020).
  11. Y. K. Semertzidis and S. Youn, Sci. Adv. 8, abm9928 (2022).
  12. P. Sikivie, Phys. Rev. Lett. 51, 1415 (1983).
  13. J. Jeong, S. Youn, S. Bae, J. Kim, T. Seong, J. E. Kim, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 221302 (2020).
  14. A. Caldwell, G. Dvali, B. Majorovits, A. Millar, G. Raffelt, J. Redondo, O. Reimann, F. Simon, and F. Steffen (MADMAX Working Group), Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 091801 (2017).
  15. M. Lawson, A. J. Millar, M. Pancaldi, E. Vitagliano, and F. Wilczek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 141802 (2019).
  16. O. Wantz and E. P. S. Shellard, Phys. Rev. D 82, 123508 (2010).
  17. M. Kawasaki, K. Saikawa, and T. Sekiguchi, Phys. Rev. D 91, 065014 (2015).
  18. S. Borsanyi, Z. Fodor, J. Guenther, K.-H. Kampert, S. D. Katz, T. Kawanai, T. G. Kovacs, S. W. Mages, A. Pasztor, F. Pittler, J. Redondo, A. Ringwald, and K. K. Szabo, Nature (London) 539, 69 (2016).
  19. C. Bonati, M. D’Elia, M. Mariti, G. Martinelli, M. Mesiti, F. Negro, F. Sanfilippo, and G. Villadoro, J. High Energy Phys. 03 (2016) 155.
  20. V. B. Klaer and G. D. Moore, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 11 (2017) 049.
  21. M. Dine, P. Draper, L. Stephenson-Haskins, and D. Xu, Phys. Rev. D 96, 095001 (2017).
  22. M. Buschmann, J. W. Foster, and B. R. Safdi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 161103 (2020).
  23. M. Buschmann, J. W. Foster, A. Hook, A. Peterson, D. E. Willcox, W. Zhang, and B. R. Safdi, Nat. Commun. 13, 1049 (2022).
  24. H. Kim, J. Park, and M. Son, J. High Energy Phys. 07 (2024) 150.
  25. L. Visinelli and P. Gondolo, Phys. Rev. D 80, 035024 (2009).
  26. P. Gondolo and L. Visinelli, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 011802 (2014).
  27. S. Bae, J. Jeong, Y. Kim, S. W. Youn, H. Park, T. Seong, S. Oh, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 211803 (2024).
  28. J. Kim, S. Youn, J. Jeong, W. Chung, O. Kwon, and Y. K. Semertzidis, J. Phys. G 47, 035203 (2020).
  29. S. Bae, S. W. Youn, and J. Jeong, Phys. Rev. D 107, 015012 (2023).
  30. comsol, Comsol multiphysics® (1998), https://www.comsol.com/comsol-multiphysics.
  31. Ç. Kutlu, A. F. Van Loo, S. V. Uchaikin, A. N. Matlashov, D. Lee, S. Oh, J. Kim, W. Chung, Y. Nakamura, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 34, 085013 (2021).
  32. J. A. Nelder and R. Mead, Computer J. 7, 308 (1965).
  33. Y. Kim, J. Jeong, S. Youn, S. Bae, A. F. van Loo, Y. Nakamura, S. Uchaikin, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Electronics 13, 2127 (2024).
  34. H. Friis, Proc. IRE 32, 419 (1944).
  35. K. M. Sliwa, M. Hatridge, A. Narla, S. Shankar, L. Frunzio, R. J. Schoelkopf, and M. H. Devoret, Phys. Rev. X 5, 041020 (2015).
  36. G. F. Engen, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 19, 344 (1970).
  37. D. Kajfez and E. Hwan, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech. 32, 666 (1984).
  38. A. Savitzky and M. J. Golay, Anal. Chem. 36, 1627 (1964).
  39. X. Ou, A.-C. Eilers, L. Necib, and A. Frebel, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 528, 693 (2024).
  40. N. W. Evans, C. A. J. O’Hare, and C. McCabe, Phys. Rev. D 99, 023012 (2019).
  41. P. F. de Salas and A. Widmark, Rep. Prog. Phys. 84, 104901 (2021).
  42. M. S. Turner, Phys. Rev. D 42, 3572 (1990).
  43. A. K. Yi, S. Ahn, B. R. Ko, and Y. K. Semertzidis, J. High Energy Phys. 11 (2023) 115.
  44. S. DePanfilis, A. C. Melissinos, B. E. Moskowitz, J. T. Rogers, Y. K. Semertzidis, W. U. Wuensch, H. J. Halama, A. G. Prodell, W. B. Fowler, and F. A. Nezrick, Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 839 (1987).
  45. W. U. Wuensch, S. De Panfilis-Wuensch, Y. K. Semertzidis, J. T. Rogers, A. C. Melissinos, H. J. Halama, B. E. Moskowitz, A. G. Prodell, W. B. Fowler, and F. A. Nezrick, Phys. Rev. D 40, 3153 (1989).
  46. C. Hagmann, P. Sikivie, N. S. Sullivan, and D. B. Tanner, Phys. Rev. D 42, 1297 (1990).
  47. C. Hagmann, D. Kinion, W. Stoeffl, K. van Bibber, E. Daw, J. McBride, H. Peng, L. Rosenberg, H. Xin, J. Laveigne, P. Sikivie, N. Sullivan, D. Tanner, D. Moltz, F. Nezrick, M. Turner, N. Golubev, and L. Kravchuk, Nucl. Phys. B, Proc. Suppl. 51, 209 (1996).
  48. S. J. Asztalos, G. Carosi, C. Hagmann, D. Kinion, K. van Bibber, M. Hotz, L. J. Rosenberg, G. Rybka, J. Hoskins, J. Hwang, P. Sikivie, D. B. Tanner, R. Bradley, and J. Clarke, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 041301 (2010).
  49. N. Du et al. (ADMX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 151301 (2018).
  50. T. Braine et al. (ADMX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 101303 (2020).
  51. C. Bartram et al. (ADMX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 261803 (2021).
  52. C. Boutan et al. (ADMX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 261302 (2018).
  53. C. Goodman et al. (ADMX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 111002 (2025).
  54. C. Bartram et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 94, 044703 (2023).
  55. S. Lee, S. Ahn, J. Choi, B. R. Ko, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 101802 (2020).
  56. J. Jeong, S. W. Youn, S. Bae, J. Kim, T. Seong, J. E. Kim, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 221302 (2020).
  57. O. Kwon et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 191802 (2021).
  58. Y. Lee, B. Yang, H. Yoon, M. Ahn, H. Park, B. Min, D. L. Kim, and J. Yoo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 241805 (2022).
  59. H. Yoon, M. Ahn, B. Yang, Y. Lee, D. L. Kim, H. Park, B. Min, and J. Yoo, Phys. Rev. D 106, 092007 (2022).
  60. J. Kim, O. Kwon, Ç. Kutlu, W. Chung, A. Matlashov, S. Uchaikin, A. F. van Loo, Y. Nakamura, S. Oh, H. Byun, D. Ahn, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 091602 (2023).
  61. A. K. Yi et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 071002 (2023).
  62. B. Yang, H. Yoon, M. Ahn, Y. Lee, and J. Yoo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 081801 (2023).
  63. Y. Kim, J. Jeong, S. W. Youn, S. Bae, K. Lee, A. F. van Loo, Y. Nakamura, S. Oh, T. Seong, S. Uchaikin, J. E. Kim, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 051802 (2024).
  64. S. Ahn et al., Phys. Rev. X 14, 031023 (2024).
  65. B. M. Brubaker et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 061302 (2017).
  66. K. M. Backes et al., Nature (London) 590, 238 (2021).
  67. L. Zhong et al., Phys. Rev. D 97, 092001 (2018).
  68. M. J. Jewell et al. (HAYSTAC Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 107, 072007 (2023).
  69. X. Bai et al. (HAYSTAC Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 151006 (2025).
  70. H. Chang, J.-Y. Chang, Y.-C. Chang, Y.-H. Chang, Y.-H. Chang, C.-H. Chen, C.-F. Chen, K.-Y. Chen, Y.-F. Chen, W.-Y. Chiang, W.-C. Chien, H. T. Doan, W.-C. Hung, W. Kuo, S.-B. Lai, H.-W. Liu, M.-W. OuYang, Ping-I. Wu, and S.-S. Yu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 111802 (2022).
  71. C. M. Adair et al., Nat. Commun. 13, 6180 (2022).
  72. A. Álvarez Melcón et al., J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2021) 075.
  73. D. Alesini et al., Phys. Rev. D 99, 101101(R) (2019).
  74. D. Alesini et al., Phys. Rev. D 103, 102004 (2021).
  75. D. Alesini et al., Phys. Rev. D 106, 052007 (2022).
  76. R. Di Vora et al. (QUAX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 108, 062005 (2023).
  77. A. Rettaroli et al. (QUAX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 110, 022008 (2024).
  78. B. T. McAllister, G. Flower, E. N. Ivanov, M. Goryachev, J. Bourhill, and M. E. Tobar, Phys. Dark Universe 18, 67 (2017).
  79. A. Quiskamp, B. T. McAllister, P. Altin, E. N. Ivanov, M. Goryachev, and M. E. Tobar, Sci. Adv. 8, eabq3765 (2022).
  80. A. Quiskamp, B. T. McAllister, P. Altin, E. N. Ivanov, M. Goryachev, and M. E. Tobar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 031601 (2024).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 091804– Published 26 August, 2025
  • Received 18 May 2025
  • Accepted 1 August 2025
Crossmark - Check for updates button
Creative Commons Logo

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.

Published by the American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation