[HEX-HET] Illuminating the Void: Searches for Light Dark Matter

Emily Perry (LBL) will present on "Illuminating the Void: Searches for Light Dark Matter"

Abstract: "The discovery of the nature of dark matter is internationally recognised as one of the highest priorities in science. Resolving this century-old "missing mass" problem would bring forward a new era for physics and astronomy, providing definitive evidence of physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM). 

For over a decade, dual-phase xenon (Xe) time projection chambers (TPCs) have dominated the search for GeV-to-TeV-scale dark matter. Today, thanks to rapid scalability and technological advances, these detectors also boast world-leading sensitivity to other BSM phenomena and rare neutrino physics. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment, operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, is the largest and most sensitive Xe TPC. LZ recently set world-leading limits on dark matter-nucleon interactions for masses between 5 and 9 GeV/c$^2$, as well as in obtaining evidence of $^8$B coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering (CE$\nu$NS) at 4.5$\sigma$ statistical significance. This seminar will review these landmark results and highlight the innovative R&D for the upcoming low-mass dark matter nuclear recoil analysis.

Shifting the paradigm to ultra-light dark matter, axions are another leading candidate. Detecting them requires cryogenic experiments paired with superconducting quantum sensors to capture the faint signals expected from axion-magnetic field interactions. This talk will overview this meV-scale detection mechanism within the context of the Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) experiment, focusing on the essential R&D required for high-frequency searches, including THz calibration and advanced reflector technologies."