Photon Regeneration Experiment for Axion Search Using X-Rays

Abstract

In this Letter we describe our novel photon regeneration experiment for the axionlike particle search using an x-ray beam with a photon energy of 50.2 and 90.7 keV, two superconducting magnets of 3 T, and a Ge detector with a high quantum efficiency. A counting rate of regenerated photons compatible with zero has been measured. The corresponding limits on the pseudoscalar axionlike particle-two-photon coupling constant is obtained as a function of the particle mass. Our setup widens the energy window of purely terrestrial experiments devoted to the axionlike particle search by coupling to two photons. It also opens a new domain of experimental investigation of photon propagation in magnetic fields.