  Direct-detection searches for axions and hidden photons are playing an
increasingly prominent role in the search for dark matter. In this work, we
derive the properties of optimal electromagnetic searches for these candidates,
subject to the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) on amplification. We show that a
single-pole resonant search may possess substantial sensitivity outside of the
resonator bandwidth and that optimizing this sensitivity may increase scan
rates by up to five orders of magnitude at low frequencies. Additional
enhancements can be obtained with resonator quality factors exceeding one
million, which corresponds to the linewidth of the dark matter signal. We
present the resonator optimization in the broader context of determining the
optimal receiver architecture (resonant or otherwise). We discuss prior
probabilities on the dark matter signal and their role in the search
optimization. We determine frequency-integrated sensitivity to be the figure of
merit in a wideband search and demonstrate that it is limited by the Bode-Fano
criterion. The optimized single-pole resonator is approximately 75% of the
Bode-Fano limit, establishing it as a fundamentally near-ideal, single-moded
dark matter detection scheme. Our analysis shows, in contrast to previous work,
that the scanned single-pole resonant search is superior to a reactive
broadband search. Our results motivate the broad application of quantum
measurement techniques evading the SQL in future axion and hidden-photon dark
matter searches.

High Energy Physics - Experiment;High Energy Physics - Phenomenology