Light Dark Matter Detection: The Next Frontier

by Dr Das Anirban (SINP, Kolkata)

Tuesday 18 Mar 2025, 16:00 → 18:00 Asia/Kolkata

AG (69)

Null results from the heavy ‘WIMP’-like dark matter searches
have pushed the direct detection frontier into the sub-GeV mass regime.
Because of the lower energy deposition from such light dark matter
scattering, many condensed matter systems have been proposed and are being used as the targets for their search. In this talk, I'll briefly review
the working principles behind the direct detection experiments at various
mass scales, including a few novel ideas of dark matter search using
quantum sensors. Finally, I will explain how superconducting quantum
devices can be used to measure the power injection from dark matter
scattering, and show that the existing data already put competitive limits
on the dark matter-nucleon interaction without any dedicated dark matter
experiment.