A microwave paraphoton and axion detection experiment with 300 dB electromagnetic shielding at 3 GHz

Abstract

For the microwave equivalent of "light shining through the wall" (LSW) experiments, a sensitive microwave detector and very high electromagnetic shielding is required. The screening attenuation between the axion generating cavity and the nearby detection cavity should be greater than 300 dB, in order to improve over presently existing exclusion limits. To achieve these goals in practice, a "box in a box" concept was utilized for shielding the detection cavity, while a vector signal analyzer was used as a microwave receiver with a very narrow resolution bandwidth in the order of a few micro-Hz. This contribution will present the experimental layout and the results to date.Comment: Presented at 3rd International Particle Accelerator Conference 2012, New Orleans, LA, USA, 20 - 25 May 201