Detection of axion dark matter in condensed matter, with a focus on tabletop-scale experiments
Dr. Caterina Braggio (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Italy)

In well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model devised to solve the strong CP problem of quantum chromodynamics, axions emerge as leading candidates of non-WIMP dark matter. The rich phenomenology associated to light stable axions can be described as a modification of Maxwell equations that can be experimentally investigated. Axions are usually searched by converting them to photons in a strong magnetic field, as in the ADMX haloscope. In this seminar, we discuss tabletop-scale experiments, particularly focusing on new observables for direct detection of axion dark matter. For instance, axion interactions with electrons in condensed matter would produce spin flips in a ferrimagnetic sample (QUAX proposal), or excite the upper Zeeman level of atoms in suitable rare-earth doped crystalline matrices (AXIOMA proposal). The experimental parameters required to achieve cosmologically relevant sensitivity in both approaches will be briefly discussed.