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Title: Multichannel direct detection of light dark matter: Target comparison

Abstract

Direct detection experiments for light dark matter are making enormous leaps in reaching previously unexplored model space. Several recent proposals rely on collective excitations, where the experimental sensitivity is highly dependent on detailed properties of the target material, well beyond just nucleus mass numbers as in conventional searches. It is thus important to optimize the target choice when considering which experiment to build. We carry out a comparative study of target materials across several detection channels, focusing on electron transitions and single (acoustic or optical) phonon excitations in crystals, as well as the traditional nuclear recoils. We compare materials currently in use in nuclear recoil experiments (Si, Ge, NaI, CsI, CaWO$$_4$$), a few which have been proposed for light dark matter experiments (GaAs, Al$$_2$$O$$_3$$, diamond), as well as 16 other promising polar crystals across all detection channels. We find that target- and dark matter model-dependent reach is largely determined by a small number of material parameters: speed of sound, electronic band gap, mass number, Born effective charge, high frequency dielectric constant, and optical phonon energies. We showcase, for each of the two benchmark models, an exemplary material which has a better reach than in any currently proposed experiment.

Authors:
; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1603207
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1603628
Grant/Contract Number:  
KA2401032; AC02-05CH11231; PHY-1638509
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review. D.
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Volume: 101 Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; first-principles calculations; hypothetical particle physics models

Citation Formats

Griffin, Sinéad M., Inzani, Katherine, Trickle, Tanner, Zhang, Zhengkang, and Zurek, Kathryn M. Multichannel direct detection of light dark matter: Target comparison. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.101.055004.
Griffin, Sinéad M., Inzani, Katherine, Trickle, Tanner, Zhang, Zhengkang, & Zurek, Kathryn M. Multichannel direct detection of light dark matter: Target comparison. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.055004
Griffin, Sinéad M., Inzani, Katherine, Trickle, Tanner, Zhang, Zhengkang, and Zurek, Kathryn M. Wed . "Multichannel direct detection of light dark matter: Target comparison". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.055004.
@article{osti_1603207,
title = {Multichannel direct detection of light dark matter: Target comparison},
author = {Griffin, Sinéad M. and Inzani, Katherine and Trickle, Tanner and Zhang, Zhengkang and Zurek, Kathryn M.},
abstractNote = {Direct detection experiments for light dark matter are making enormous leaps in reaching previously unexplored model space. Several recent proposals rely on collective excitations, where the experimental sensitivity is highly dependent on detailed properties of the target material, well beyond just nucleus mass numbers as in conventional searches. It is thus important to optimize the target choice when considering which experiment to build. We carry out a comparative study of target materials across several detection channels, focusing on electron transitions and single (acoustic or optical) phonon excitations in crystals, as well as the traditional nuclear recoils. We compare materials currently in use in nuclear recoil experiments (Si, Ge, NaI, CsI, CaWO$_4$), a few which have been proposed for light dark matter experiments (GaAs, Al$_2$O$_3$, diamond), as well as 16 other promising polar crystals across all detection channels. We find that target- and dark matter model-dependent reach is largely determined by a small number of material parameters: speed of sound, electronic band gap, mass number, Born effective charge, high frequency dielectric constant, and optical phonon energies. We showcase, for each of the two benchmark models, an exemplary material which has a better reach than in any currently proposed experiment.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.101.055004},
journal = {Physical Review. D.},
number = 5,
volume = 101,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 04 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Wed Mar 04 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}

Journal Article:
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https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.055004

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