A method for directional detection of dark matter using spectroscopy of crystal defects
At a Glance
Section titled âAt a Glanceâ| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2017-08-15 |
| Journal | Physical review. D/Physical review. D. |
| Authors | Surjeet Rajendran, Nicholas Zobrist, Alexander O. Sushkov, Ronald L. Walsworth, Mikhail D. Lukin |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley, Boston University |
| Citations | 72 |
Abstract
Section titled âAbstractâWe propose a method to identify the direction of an incident Weakly\nInteracting Massive Particle (WIMP) via induced nuclear recoil. Our method is\nbased on spectroscopic interrogation of quantum defects in macroscopic\nsolid-state crystals . When a WIMP scatters in a crystal, the induced nuclear\nrecoil creates a tell-tale damage cluster, localized to within about 50 nm,\nwith an orientation to the damage trail that correlates well with the direction\nof the recoil and hence the incoming WIMP. This damage cluster induces strain\nin the crystal, shifting the energy levels of nearby quantum defects. These\nlevel shifts can be measured optically (or through paramagnetic resonance)\nmaking it possible to detect the strain environment around the defect in a\nsolid sample. As a specific example, we consider nitrogen vacancy centers in\ndiamond, for which high defect densities and nanoscale localization of\nindividual defects have been demonstrated. To localize the millimeter-scale\nregion of a nuclear recoil within the crystal due to a potential dark matter\nevent, we can use conventional WIMP detection techniques such as the collection\nof ionization/scintillation. Once an event is identified, the quantum defects\nin the vicinity of the event can be interrogated to map the strain environment,\nthus determining the direction of the recoil. In principle, this approach\nshould be able to identify the recoil direction with an efficiency greater than\n70% at a false positive rate less than 5% for 10 keV recoil energies. If\nsuccessful, this method would allow for directional detection of WIMP-induced\nnuclear recoils at solid state densities, enabling probes of WIMP parameter\nspace below the solar neutrino floor. This technique could also potentially be\napplied to identify the direction of particles such as neutrons whose low\nscattering cross-section requires detectors with a large target mass.\n