The Search for High-Frequency Gravitational Waves with a Modified Axion Detector

Abstract

ABRACADABRA-10cm has had great success as a lumped-element axion dark matter pathfinder experiment, with two published axion searches and an extensive background investigation. Now, using the electrodynamics of gravitational waves and a simple change of pickup structures, we are using the ABRACADABRA detector to search for high-frequency gravitational waves in the kHz to MHz range. These higher frequencies may indicate signs of in-spiraling primordial black holes, or other beyond the standard model phenomena. With careful calibration used to distinguish between the two signals, we introduce the first simultaneous search for both axions and gravitational waves using a lumped-element axion detector. In this thesis I will present on the high-frequency cryogenic ABRACADABRA-10cm detector, the background investigations of the detector and the design and first data from the ABRACADABRA-10cm high-frequency gravitational wave search.