MADMAX: A Dielectric Haloscope Experiment

Axions emerge naturally from the Peccei-Quinn mechanism, which addresses the absence of CP violation in the strong interaction, and they can make up the cold dark matter (CDM) in the universe. If PQ symmetry was broken after inflation, the CDM axion mass would likely be in the range of similar to 26 mu eV to similar to 1 meV, which is yet to be explored experimentally. We present a new dielectric haloscope experiment dedicated to the direct detection of QCD axion dark matter in the mass range of 40 to 400 mu eV - the MAgnetized Disc and Mirror Axion eXperiment (MADMAX). Multiple dielectric discs and a mirror are placed in a strong magnetic field to utilize the axion-induced coherent electromagnetic wave emitted from each disc surface and the resonance effect therein, such that the axion-induced signal can be boosted to a level detectable by state-of-the-art low noise amplifiers. We will discuss the motivation, design and sensitivity of MADMAX; ongoing R&D studies and the project roadmap will also be presented.