A low-threshold diamond cryogenic detector for sub-GeV Dark Matter searches

TL;DR

This paper reports the development of the first low-threshold cryogenic diamond detector with a 16.8 eV energy threshold, enabling sensitive searches for sub-GeV dark matter and other rare events.

Contribution

It introduces a novel diamond-based cryogenic detector with record-low energy threshold for astroparticle physics applications.

Findings

Achieved an energy threshold as low as 16.8 eV.

Demonstrated the detector's potential for light dark matter searches.

Showed promising performance for low-energy event detection.

Abstract

In this work we report the realization of the first low-threshold cryogenic detector that uses diamond as absorber for astroparticle physics applications. We tested two 0.175$\,$g CVD diamond samples, each instrumented with a W-TES. The sensors showed transitions at about 25 mK. We present the performance of the diamond detectors and we highlight the best performing one, where we obtained an energy threshold as low as 16.8 eV. This promising result lays the foundation for the use of diamond for different fields of applications where low threshold and excellent energy resolution are required, as i.e. light dark matter searches and BSM physics with coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering.