Alex Sushkov (Boston U.): The quantum limits of precision magnetic resonance for fundamental science

Sydney CPPC Seminar November 20th 2023

Magnetic resonance is a well-developed set of tools that has found use in fields ranging from medical imaging to quantum science. I will focus on the application of precision magnetic resonance to fundamental physics, specifically laboratory-scale searches for ultra-light axion-like dark matter. The Cosmic Axion Spin Precession Experiment (CASPEr-e) uses nuclear magnetic resonance to search for the defining gluon coupling of the Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) axion, which solves the strong-CP problem of QCD. The prototype CASPEr-e experiment has achieved design sensitivity in the nano-electronvolt mass range. In order to reach the sensitivity to the QCD axion, we are developing a precision magnetic resonance detector, limited by the quantum spin projection noise of a macroscopic ensemble of nuclear spins.