Semiconductor Probes of Light Dark Matter

Peter W. Graham; David E. Kaplan; Surjeet Rajendran; Matthew T.  Walters

doi:10.1016/j.dark.2012.09.001

Semiconductor Probes of Light Dark Matter

Peter W. Graham^*, David E. Kaplan^*, Surjeet Rajendran^*, Matthew T. Walters^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Dark matter with mass below about a GeV is essentially unobservable in conventional direct detection experiments. However, newly proposed technology will allow the detection of single electron events in semiconductor materials with significantly lowered thresholds. This would allow detection of dark matter as light as an MeV in mass. Compared to other detection technologies, semiconductors allow enhanced sensitivity because of their low ionization energy around an eV. Such detectors would be particularly sensitive to dark matter with electric and magnetic dipole moments, with a reach many orders of magnitude beyond current bounds. Observable dipole moment interactions can be generated by new particles with masses as great as 1000 TeV, providing a window to scales beyond the reach of current colliders.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	32-49
Number of pages	18
Journal	Physics of the Dark Universe
Volume	1
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dark.2012.09.001
Publication status	Published - Nov 2012

Keywords

hep-ph
astro-ph.CO
hep-ex

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title = "Semiconductor Probes of Light Dark Matter",

abstract = " Dark matter with mass below about a GeV is essentially unobservable in conventional direct detection experiments. However, newly proposed technology will allow the detection of single electron events in semiconductor materials with significantly lowered thresholds. This would allow detection of dark matter as light as an MeV in mass. Compared to other detection technologies, semiconductors allow enhanced sensitivity because of their low ionization energy around an eV. Such detectors would be particularly sensitive to dark matter with electric and magnetic dipole moments, with a reach many orders of magnitude beyond current bounds. Observable dipole moment interactions can be generated by new particles with masses as great as 1000 TeV, providing a window to scales beyond the reach of current colliders. ",

keywords = "hep-ph, astro-ph.CO, hep-ex",

author = "Graham, {Peter W.} and Kaplan, {David E.} and Surjeet Rajendran and Walters, {Matthew T.}",

note = "26 pages, 6 figures, references added, error in mass contribution corrected, discussion of constraints expanded and clarified, plot of mass range sensitivity expanded",

year = "2012",

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doi = "10.1016/j.dark.2012.09.001",

language = "English",

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pages = "32--49",

journal = "Physics of the Dark Universe",

issn = "2212-6864",

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T1 - Semiconductor Probes of Light Dark Matter

AU - Graham, Peter W.

AU - Kaplan, David E.

AU - Rajendran, Surjeet

AU - Walters, Matthew T.

N1 - 26 pages, 6 figures, references added, error in mass contribution corrected, discussion of constraints expanded and clarified, plot of mass range sensitivity expanded

PY - 2012/11

Y1 - 2012/11

N2 - Dark matter with mass below about a GeV is essentially unobservable in conventional direct detection experiments. However, newly proposed technology will allow the detection of single electron events in semiconductor materials with significantly lowered thresholds. This would allow detection of dark matter as light as an MeV in mass. Compared to other detection technologies, semiconductors allow enhanced sensitivity because of their low ionization energy around an eV. Such detectors would be particularly sensitive to dark matter with electric and magnetic dipole moments, with a reach many orders of magnitude beyond current bounds. Observable dipole moment interactions can be generated by new particles with masses as great as 1000 TeV, providing a window to scales beyond the reach of current colliders.

AB - Dark matter with mass below about a GeV is essentially unobservable in conventional direct detection experiments. However, newly proposed technology will allow the detection of single electron events in semiconductor materials with significantly lowered thresholds. This would allow detection of dark matter as light as an MeV in mass. Compared to other detection technologies, semiconductors allow enhanced sensitivity because of their low ionization energy around an eV. Such detectors would be particularly sensitive to dark matter with electric and magnetic dipole moments, with a reach many orders of magnitude beyond current bounds. Observable dipole moment interactions can be generated by new particles with masses as great as 1000 TeV, providing a window to scales beyond the reach of current colliders.

KW - hep-ph

KW - astro-ph.CO

KW - hep-ex

U2 - 10.1016/j.dark.2012.09.001

DO - 10.1016/j.dark.2012.09.001

M3 - Article

SN - 2212-6864

VL - 1

SP - 32

EP - 49

JO - Physics of the Dark Universe

JF - Physics of the Dark Universe

IS - 1-2

ER -

Semiconductor Probes of Light Dark Matter

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Keywords

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