Improved Dark Photon Sensitivity from a Superconducting-Radio-Frequency-Cavity Experiment
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: We report the refined dark-photon exclusion bound from Dark SRF's pathfinder run. Our new result is driven by improved theoretical modeling of frequency instability in high-quality resonant experiments. Our analysis leads to a constraint that is an order of magnitude stronger than previously reported (corresponding to a signal-to-noise ratio that is 4 orders of magnitude larger). This result represents the world-leading constraint on non-dark-matter dark photons over a wide range of masses below 6 μeV and translates to the best laboratory-based limit on the photon mass m_{γ}<2.9×10^{-48} g.
Source: Physical Review Letters
DOI: 10.1103/p7r3-c15d
Authors: Saarik Kalia, Zhen Liu, Bianca Giaccone, Oleksandr Melnychuk, Roman Pilipenko, Asher Berlin, Anson Hook, Sergey Belomestnykh, Crispin Contreras-Martinez, Daniil Frolov, Timergali Khabiboulline, Yuriy Pischalnikov, Sam Posen, Oleg Pronitchev, Vyacheslav Yakovlev, Anna Grassellino, Roni Harnik, Alexander Romanenko
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,750
OpenAlex ID: W4416368214