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arXiv · 2208.14474

Signatures and Detection Prospects for sub-GeV Dark Matter with Superfluid Helium

Yining You·Jordan Smolinsky·Wei Xue·Konstantin T. Matchev·Keegan Gunther·Yoonseok Lee·Tarek Saab
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Abstract

We explore the possibility of using superfluid helium for direct detection of sub-GeV dark matter (DM). We discuss the relevant phenomenology resulting from the scattering of an incident dark matter particle on a Helium nucleus. Rather than directly exciting quasi-particles, DM in this mass range will interact with a single He atom, triggering an atomic cascade which eventually also includes emission and thermalization of quasi-particles. We present in detail the analytical framework needed for modeling these processes and determining the resulting flux of quasi-particles. We propose a novel method for detecting this flux with modern force-sensitive devices, such as nanoelectro-mechanical system (NEMS) oscillators, and derive the sensitivity projections for a generic sub-GeV DM detection experiment using such sensors.

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Yining You, Jordan Smolinsky, Wei Xue, Konstantin T. Matchev, Keegan Gunther, Yoonseok Lee, Tarek Saab. 2022-08-30. Signatures and Detection Prospects for sub-GeV Dark Matter with Superfluid Helium. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep07(2023)009

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