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Probing Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov Axion Dark Matter near 5.9 GHz Using an 8-Cell Cavity Haloscope

Saebyeok Ahn1,2,*, Çağlar Kutlu2,3,*,†, Soohyung Lee2,4,*, SungWoo Youn1,2,‡, Sergey V. Uchaikin1,2, Sungjae Bae1,2,3, Junu Jeong2,5, Arjan F. van Loo6,7, Yasunobu Nakamura6,7 et al.

Seongjeong Oh1,2, Jihn E. Kim8, and Yannis K. Semertzidis2,3

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Present address: Zurich Instruments, Technoparkstrasse 1, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland.
  • ‡Contact author: swyoun@ibs.re.kr
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 211801 – Published 17 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/fzzl-2dyr

Abstract

We report on a search for axion dark matter in the frequency range near 5.9 GHz, conducted using the haloscope technique. The experiment employed an 8-cell microwave resonator designed to extend the accessible frequency range by a multifold factor relative to conventional single-cell configurations, while maintaining a large detection volume. To enhance sensitivity, a flux-driven Josephson parametric amplifier operating near the quantum noise limit was utilized, together with a sideband-summing method that coherently combines mirrored spectral components generated by the Josephson parametric amplifier. Data were acquired over the frequency range 5.83–5.94 GHz. With no statistically significant excess observed, we exclude axion-photon couplings gaγγ down to 1.2×10−14  GeV−1 at a 90% confidence level. The achieved sensitivity approaches the Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov benchmark prediction, setting the most stringent limits to date in this range.

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Outline

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 211801– Published 17 November, 2025
  • Received 8 July 2025
  • Revised 11 October 2025
  • Accepted 21 October 2025
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