Quantum-enhanced interferometry for axion searches

The Standard Model has been extremely successful in making experimental predictions in the past decades, yet leaves some key phenomena unexplained. In particular, it does not include gravity and does not explain dark matter. There are many theories that try to explain the nature of dark matter. Analyses of a range of observations, including the rotation velocities of galaxies, the dynamics of galaxy clusters, microlensing, and the large-scale structure of the universe led most of the scientific community to accept non-baryonic particles as the primary dark matter candidates.

In our group, we apply quantum measurements techniques from the gravitational wave and quantum optics communities to develop a new class axion detectors. The physical principle of searches is to explore a phase velocity difference between left- and right-handed circularly polarised light in the presence of the axion field. This approach will allow us to measure the axion-photon coupling with an unprecedented sensitivity for axion masses in the range from 1e-16 up to 1e-10 eV.

PhD student will build a tabletop optical interferometer and employ squeezed states of light to suppress quantum noises in the detector. The project has a highly interdisciplinary nature. The student will acquire skills in astrophysics, precision measurements, quantum optics, data analysis, control theory, and laser physics. We install the experiment on the Birmingham campus but it is a collaborative effort between Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Strathclyde, and Warwick. Visit http://www.sr.bham.ac.uk/instrumental/ for more information about the group and the project.