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arXiv:2512.17271

Detecting Axion Dark Matter with an Organic Molecular Maser

Hongliang Wu, Yuchen Han, Zhengtao Wang, Dezhi Zheng, Yeliang Wang, Liu Yang, Zhiwei Wang, Bo Zhang, Dmitry Budker, Jun Zhang

hep-phquant-phSubmitted Dec 19, 2025• Announced Dec 22, 2025• 0 citations
v1 · Dec 19, 2025v2 · Dec 22, 2025
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Abstract

We present a novel quantum sensing approach to search for axion-electron interactions around the axion mass of 6 \mueV. In this region, laboratory searches are relatively scarce, and our direct experiment measuring the axion-electron coupling constant reaches the sensitivity of 8 \times 10^{-6} GeV^{-1}. The method, based on an organic molecular maser establishes a proof-of-principle for quantum-enhanced detection, with a corresponding magnetic field sensitivity of 0.85 fT/\sqrt{\rm{Hz}}. The methodology is generic and can be readily extended to other physical systems, further broadening its applicability in quantum sensing and dark matter searches.

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We propose a paradigm for quantum enhanced axion dark matter search, which does not rely on power measurements. We propose to measure directly the axion amplitude and phase in an interferometric protocol at the quantum limit, using a non-linear cavity. In addition, we introduce gyromagnetic modes as wide mass range transducers for axion signals compatible with standard haloscope designs. We expect this scheme to offer an improvement of at least 4 orders of magnitude in figure of merit and at least 2 orders of magnitude in mass window with respect to standard haloscopes. Owing to its generality, our proposed protocol has the potential to speed up axion search but also the search for dark photons or other cosmological objects, such as galactic masers.
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