Current and next generation dark matter searches experiments diverge in sensitivity for dark matter masses below a few GeV, leaving a valid and theory motivated sub-GeV mass range unreachable. The challenge is identifying single events of tens or hundreds of eV in a large bulk, and reducing accompanying backgrounds to satisfactory levels.
We are developinga new technology, based on finding single crystal defects in a bulk, that arise from interactions of light dark matter and a nucleus. These defects are long lived and spectroscopically active, which makes them ideal for detection of nuclear interactions with a threshold of tens of eV.
-
R. Budnik, O. Chesnovsky, O. Slone, T. Volansky- Direct Detection of Light Dark Matter and Solar Neutrinos via Color Center Production in Crystals
-
Y. Mosbacher, M. Weiss et al. - Wide band spectroscopic response of monocrystallines to low dose neutron and gamma radiation