DOE OSTI · 3011479
First Limits on Light Dark Matter Interactions in a Low Threshold Two-Channel Athermal Phonon Detector from the TESSERACT Collaboration
Abstract
We present results of a search for spin-independent dark matter-nucleus interactions in a 1 cm 2 by 1 mm thick (0.233 g) high-resolution silicon athermal phonon detector operated above ground. For interactions in the substrate, this detector achieves an rms baseline energy resolution of 361.5(4) m eV (statistical error), the best for any athermal phonon detector to date. With an exposure of 0.233 g ×12 hours, we place the most stringent constraints on dark matter masses between 44 and 87 M eV/c 2 , with the lowest unexplored cross section of 4 × 10 −32 cm 2 at 87 M eV/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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Bui, T. K. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)], Chang, C. L. [Argonne National Laboratory; The University of Chicago; The University of Chicago], Chang, Y.-Y. [University of California Berkeley], Chaplinsky, L. [University of Massachusetts], Fink, C. W. [University of California Berkeley; Now at Los Alamos National Laboratory], Garcia-Sciveres, M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)], Guo, W. [Florida State University; National High Magnetic Field Laboratory], Hertel, S. A. [University of Massachusetts], Juigne, L. [University of Zurich], Kavner, A. R. L. [University of Zurich], Li, Xinran [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory], Lin, J. [University of California Berkeley; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory], Lisovenko, M. [Argonne National Laboratory], Mahapatra, R. [Texas A&M University], Matava, W. [University of California Berkeley], McKinsey, D. N. [University of California Berkeley; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory], Novati, V. [University of Grenoble Alpes], Patel, P. K. [University of Massachusetts], Penning, B. [University of Zurich], Pinckney, H. D. [University of Massachusetts], Platt, M. [Texas A&M University], Pyle, M. [University of California Berkeley], Qi, Y. [Florida State University; National High Magnetic Field Laboratory], Reed, M. [University of California Berkeley], Rischbieter, G. R. C. [University of Michigan], Romani, R. K. [University of California Berkeley], Sadoulet, B. [University of California Berkeley], Serfass, B. [University of California Berkeley], Sorensen, P. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory], Suerfu, B. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)], Suzuki, A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory], Velan, V. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory], Wang, G. [Argonne National Laboratory], Wang, Y. [University of California Berkeley], Watkins, S. L. [University of California Berkeley], Williams, Michael R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory] (ORCID:000000026540436X), Wuko, J. K. [University of Massachusetts], Aramaki, T. [Northeastern University], Cushman, P. [University of Minnesota], Gite, N. N. [University of California Berkeley], Gupta, A. [University of California Berkeley], Huber, M. E. [University of Colorado Denver; University of Colorado Denver], Kurinsky, N. A. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology], von Krosigk, B. [Heidelberg University; Institute for Astroparticle Physics], Mammo, J. S. [University of South Dakota], Mayer, A. J. [TRIUMF, Vancouver], Nelson, J. [University of Minnesota], Oser, S. M. [TRIUMF, Vancouver; University of British Columbia], Pandey, L. [University of South Dakota], Pradeep, A. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology], Rau, W. [TRIUMF, Vancouver; Queen’s University], Saab, T. [University of Florida]. 2025-10-15. 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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