Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance search for axion-like dark matter with broadband SQUID magnetometry

Abstract

We report the results of an experimental search for ultralight axion-like dark matter in the mass ranges 19.5--20.5 and 21.5--22 neV. The Cosmic Axion Spin Precession Experiment-electric probes the axion-nuclear electric dipole moment coupling. We perform solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance on ²⁰⁷Pb spin ensembles which reside in a polarized ferroelectric crystal. The background axion-like dark matter field induces an oscillating torque on the ²⁰⁷Pb spins via the electric dipole moment coupling g_d. The experiment is calibrated with pulsed magnetic resonance measurements covering two frequency bands (4.6--5.0 and 5.2--5.3 MHz) that correspond to the axion Compton frequencies associated with the identified axion mass ranges. By sweeping the leading magnetic field applied to the sample, we are able to detect the ²⁰⁷Pb nuclear magnetic resonance in these frequency ranges using a superconducting quantum interference device, inductively coupled to the sample with a broadband circuit. We establish the upper bounds |g_d| < 4× 10⁻⁴ GeV⁻² with 95% confidence in these frequency bands. Our results demonstrate the detection and small-tip angle calibration of low-field ²⁰⁷Pb nuclear magnetic resonance, allowing for sensitivity to axion-like dark matter in the nanoelectron-volt axion mass range.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{winter2026solidstate,
  title = {{Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance search for axion-like dark matter with broadband SQUID magnetometry}},
  author = {Andrew J. Winter and János Ádám and Deniz Aybas and Dmitry Budker and Derek F. Jackson Kimball and Surjeet Rajendran and Arne Wickenbrock and Alexander O. Sushkov},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.07908},
  eprint = {2609.07908},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.07908},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance search for axion-like dark matter with broadband SQUID magnetometry
AU  - Andrew J. Winter
AU  - János Ádám
AU  - Deniz Aybas
AU  - Dmitry Budker
AU  - Derek F. Jackson Kimball
AU  - Surjeet Rajendran
AU  - Arne Wickenbrock
AU  - Alexander O. Sushkov
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/07
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.07908
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.07908
AB  - We report the results of an experimental search for ultralight axion-like dark matter in the mass ranges 19.5--20.5 and 21.5--22 neV. The Cosmic Axion Spin Precession Experiment-electric probes the axion-nuclear electric dipole moment coupling. We perform solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance on ^207Pb spin ensembles which reside in a polarized ferroelectric crystal. The background axion-like dark matter field induces an oscillating torque on the ^207Pb spins via the electric dipole moment coupling g_d. The experiment is calibrated with pulsed magnetic resonance measurements covering two frequency bands (4.6--5.0 and 5.2--5.3 MHz) that correspond to the axion Compton frequencies associated with the identified axion mass ranges. By sweeping the leading magnetic field applied to the sample, we are able to detect the ^207Pb nuclear magnetic resonance in these frequency ranges using a superconducting quantum interference device, inductively coupled to the sample with a broadband circuit. We establish the upper bounds |g_d| < 4× 10^−4 GeV^−2 with 95% confidence in these frequency bands. Our results demonstrate the detection and small-tip angle calibration of low-field ^207Pb nuclear magnetic resonance, allowing for sensitivity to axion-like dark matter in the nanoelectron-volt axion mass range.
ER  -

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