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arXiv · 2503.03683

First Limits on Light Dark Matter Interactions in a Low Threshold Two Channel Athermal Phonon Detector from the TESSERACT Collaboration

C. L. Chang·Y. -Y. Chang·L. Chaplinsky·C. W. Fink·M. Garcia-Sciveres·W. Guo·S. A. Hertel·X. Li·J. Lin·M. Lisovenko·R. Mahapatra·W. Matava·D. N. McKinsey·V. Novati·P. K. Patel·B. Penning·H. D. Pinckney·M. Platt·M. Pyle·Y. Qi·M. Reed·G. R. C Rischbieter·R. K. Romani·B. Sadoulet·B. Serfass·P. Sorensen·A. Suzuki·V. Velan·G. Wang·Y. Wang·S. L. Watkins·M. R. Williams·J. K. Wuko·T. Aramaki·P. Cushman·N. N. Gite·A. Gupta·M. E. Huber·N. A. Kurinsky·J. S. Mammo·B. von Krosigk·A. J. Mayer·J. Nelson·S. M. Oser·L. Pandey·A. Pradeep·W. Rau·T. Saab
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Abstract

We present results of a search for spin-independent dark matter-nucleon interactions in a 1 cm$^2$ by 1 mm thick (0.233 gram) high-resolution silicon athermal phonon detector operated above ground. For interactions in the substrate, this detector achieves a r.m.s. baseline energy resolution of 361.5 $\pm$ 0.4 MeV/$c^2$, the best for any athermal phonon detector to date. With an exposure of 0.233g $\times$ 12 hours, we place the most stringent constraints on dark matter masses between 44 and 87 MeV/$c^2$, with the lowest unexplored cross section of 4 $\times 10^{-32}$ cm$^2$ at 87 MeV/$c^2$. We employ a conservative salting technique to reach the lowest dark matter mass ever probed via direct detection experiment. This constraint is enabled by two-channel rejection of low-energy backgrounds that are coupled to individual sensors.

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C. L. Chang, Y. -Y. Chang, L. Chaplinsky, C. W. Fink, M. Garcia-Sciveres, W. Guo, S. A. Hertel, X. Li, J. Lin, M. Lisovenko, R. Mahapatra, W. Matava, D. N. McKinsey, V. Novati, P. K. Patel, B. Penning, H. D. Pinckney, M. Platt, M. Pyle, Y. Qi, M. Reed, G. R. C Rischbieter, R. K. Romani, B. Sadoulet, B. Serfass, P. Sorensen, A. Suzuki, V. Velan, G. Wang, Y. Wang, S. L. Watkins, M. R. Williams, J. K. Wuko, T. Aramaki, P. Cushman, N. N. Gite, A. Gupta, M. E. Huber, N. A. Kurinsky, J. S. Mammo, B. von Krosigk, A. J. Mayer, J. Nelson, S. M. Oser, L. Pandey, A. Pradeep, W. Rau, T. Saab. 2025-03-05. First Limits on Light Dark Matter Interactions in a Low Threshold Two Channel Athermal Phonon Detector from the TESSERACT Collaboration. https://doi.org/10.1103/hsrl-crvf

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