Speaker
Description
We present the progress towards a first stage dark photon BREAD (Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection) pilot experiment with a focus on SNSPDs. The BREAD experiment searches for axions and wave-like dark matter using a novel dish resonator which allows us to utilize state-of-the-art high-field solenoidal magnets. The axion target mass extends from ~𝜇eV to eV, this large mass range makes it difficult to scale traditional resonator setups to the required volume. However, metallic surfaces in a high magnetic field dark matter axions can convert to photons regardless of axion mass. These photons can then be focused by a parabolic focusing reflector onto a low noise single photon counting detector. One of the single photon counting detectors that can be used for the BREAD experiment is superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) that are sensitive to 0.1 to 1 eV axions and dark photons, due to its sensitivity to 1-10um photons.
