Search for weakly interacting sub-eV particles with the OSQAR laser-based experiment: results and perspectives

P. Pugnat; R. Ballou; M. Schott; T. Husek; M. Sulc; G. Deferne; L. Duvillaret; M. Finger; M. Finger; L. Flekova; J. Hosek; V. Jary; R. Jost; M. Kral; S. Kunc; K. Macuchova; K. A. Meissner; J. Morville; D. Romanini; A. Siemko; M. Slunecka; G. Vitrant; J. Zicha

doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-014-3027-8

2022 Impact factor 4.4

Particles and Fields

Open Access

Eur. Phys. J. C (2014) 74: 3027
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-014-3027-8

Regular Article - Experimental Physics

Search for weakly interacting sub-eV particles with the OSQAR laser-based experiment: results and perspectives

P. Pugnat¹^,2^*, R. Ballou³^,4, M. Schott⁵, T. Husek⁶, M. Sulc⁷, G. Deferne⁸, L. Duvillaret⁹, M. Finger⁶, M. Finger⁶, L. Flekova¹⁰, J. Hosek¹⁰, V. Jary¹⁰, R. Jost¹¹^,12, M. Kral¹⁰, S. Kunc⁷, K. Macuchova¹⁰, K. A. Meissner¹³, J. Morville¹⁴^,15, D. Romanini¹¹^,12, A. Siemko⁸, M. Slunecka⁶, G. Vitrant⁹ and J. Zicha¹⁰

¹ CNRS, LNCMI, F-38042, Grenoble, France
² Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LNCMI, F-38042, Grenoble, France
³ CNRS, Institut Néel, F-38042, Grenoble, France
⁴ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Institut Néel, F-38042, Grenoble, France
⁵ University of Mainz, Institute of Physics, 55128, Mainz, Germany
⁶ Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Prague, Czech Republic
⁷ Technical University of Liberec, 46117, Liberec, Czech, Republic
⁸ CERN, CH-1211, Geneva-23, Switzerland
⁹ Grenoble INP - Minatec & CNRS, IMEP-LAHC, F-38016, Grenoble, France
¹⁰ Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
¹¹ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LIPhy, F-38000, Grenoble, France
¹² CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000, Grenoble, France
¹³ University of Warsaw, Institute of Theoretical Physics, 00-681, Warsaw, Poland
¹⁴ Univ. Claude Bernard Lyon-1, Institut Lumière Matière, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
¹⁵ CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France

^* e-mail: pierre.pugnat@lncmi.cnrs.fr

Received: 20 February 2014
Accepted: 11 August 2014
Published online: 23 August 2014

Abstract

Recent theoretical and experimental studies highlight the possibility of new fundamental particle physics beyond the Standard Model that can be probed by sub-eV energy experiments. The OSQAR photon regeneration experiment looks for “Light Shining through a Wall” from the quantum oscillation of optical photons into “Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles”, like axion or axion-like particles (ALPs), in a 9 T transverse magnetic field over the unprecedented length of m. No excess of events has been detected over the background. The di-photon couplings of possible new light scalar and pseudo-scalar particles can be constrained in the massless limit to be less than GeV. These results are very close to the most stringent laboratory constraints obtained for the coupling of ALPs to two photons. Plans for further improving the sensitivity of the OSQAR experiment are presented.