Determining Dark-Matter–Electron Scattering Rates from the Dielectric Function
Abstract
We show that the rate for dark-matter–electron scattering in an arbitrary material is determined by an experimentally measurable quantity, the complex dielectric function, for any dark matter interaction that couples to electron density. This formulation automatically includes many-body effects, eliminates all systematic theoretical uncertainties on the electronic wave functions, and allows a direct calibration of the spectrum by electromagnetic probes such as infrared spectroscopy, x-ray scattering, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Our formalism applies for several common benchmark models, including spin-independent interactions through scalar and vector mediators of arbitrary mass. We discuss the consequences for standard semiconductor and superconductor targets and find that the true reach of superconductor detectors for light mediators exceeds previous estimates by several orders of magnitude, with further enhancements possible due to the low-energy tail of the plasmon. Using a heavy-fermion superconductor as an example, we show how our formulation allows a rapid and systematic investigation of novel electron scattering targets.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States); Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); National Science Foundation (NSF); Israel Science Foundation; Binational Science Foundation
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1824714
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1824155; OSTI ID: 1863022
- Report Number(s):
- FERMILAB-PUB-21-128-AE; arXiv:2101.08263
Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007; PRLTAO; 151802
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-07CH11359; SC0019129; SC0015655; SC0010107; AC02-76SF00515; PHY-1607611; 1112/17; 2016155
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Volume: 127 Journal Issue: 15; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; particle dark matter; dielectrics; dark matter detectors; dielectric spectroscopy; electron energy loss spectroscopy; free-electron model
Citation Formats
Hochberg, Yonit, Kahn, Yonatan, Kurinsky, Noah, Lehmann, Benjamin V., Yu, To Chin, and Berggren, Karl K. Determining Dark-Matter–Electron Scattering Rates from the Dielectric Function. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.151802.
Hochberg, Yonit, Kahn, Yonatan, Kurinsky, Noah, Lehmann, Benjamin V., Yu, To Chin, & Berggren, Karl K. Determining Dark-Matter–Electron Scattering Rates from the Dielectric Function. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.151802
Hochberg, Yonit, Kahn, Yonatan, Kurinsky, Noah, Lehmann, Benjamin V., Yu, To Chin, and Berggren, Karl K. Wed .
"Determining Dark-Matter–Electron Scattering Rates from the Dielectric Function". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.151802.
@article{osti_1824714,
title = {Determining Dark-Matter–Electron Scattering Rates from the Dielectric Function},
author = {Hochberg, Yonit and Kahn, Yonatan and Kurinsky, Noah and Lehmann, Benjamin V. and Yu, To Chin and Berggren, Karl K.},
abstractNote = {We show that the rate for dark-matter–electron scattering in an arbitrary material is determined by an experimentally measurable quantity, the complex dielectric function, for any dark matter interaction that couples to electron density. This formulation automatically includes many-body effects, eliminates all systematic theoretical uncertainties on the electronic wave functions, and allows a direct calibration of the spectrum by electromagnetic probes such as infrared spectroscopy, x-ray scattering, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Our formalism applies for several common benchmark models, including spin-independent interactions through scalar and vector mediators of arbitrary mass. We discuss the consequences for standard semiconductor and superconductor targets and find that the true reach of superconductor detectors for light mediators exceeds previous estimates by several orders of magnitude, with further enhancements possible due to the low-energy tail of the plasmon. Using a heavy-fermion superconductor as an example, we show how our formulation allows a rapid and systematic investigation of novel electron scattering targets.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.151802},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 15,
volume = 127,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Wed Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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