A Photon Regeneration Experiment for Axionlike Particle Search using X-rays

Rémy Battesti (1) , Mathilde Fouché (1) , C. Detlefs (2) , T. Roth (2) , Paul Berceau (1) , F. Duc (1) , P. Frings (1, 3) , Rikken G.L.J.A. (1, 3) , Carlo Rizzo (1)

1 LNCMI-T - Laboratoire national des champs magnétiques intenses - Toulouse
2 ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
3 LNCMP - Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Pulsés

In this letter we describe our novel photon regeneration experiment for the axionlike particle search using a x-ray beam with a photon energy of 50.2 keV and 90.7 keV, two superconducting magnets of 3 T, and a Ge detector with a high quantum efficiency. A counting rate of regenerated photons compatible with zero has been measured. The corresponding limits on the pseudoscalar axionlike particle-two photon coupling constant is obtained as a function of the particle mass. Our setup widens the energy window of purely terrestrial experiments devoted to the axionlike particle search by coupling to two photons. It also opens a new domain of experimental investigation of photon propagation in magnetic fields.

Domaines: Physique des Hautes Energies - Expérience [hep-ex]; Physique des Hautes Energies - Phénoménologie [hep-ph]

Rémy Battesti, Mathilde Fouché, C. Detlefs, T. Roth, Paul Berceau, et al.. A Photon Regeneration Experiment for Axionlike Particle Search using X-rays. Physical Review Letters, 2010, 105, pp.250405. ⟨hal-00509807v3⟩