Excess backgrounds in Dark Matter detectors and physics of glasses

TL;DR

This paper investigates delayed low-energy backgrounds in solid-state dark matter detectors, focusing on glass physics and luminescence phenomena, highlighting the need for further studies on luminescence behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces observations of energy accumulation and delayed luminescence in glass-based detectors, emphasizing the role of interactions in the tunneling two-level systems model.

Findings

Observed energy accumulation and delayed luminescence in sodium iodine

Delayed luminescence can be suppressed by red light exposure

Highlights the need for further studies on luminescence dynamics

Abstract

In solid-state dark matter detectors, energy accumulation due to ionizing radiation should produce delayed low-energy background similar to the background produced by energy deposited by mechanical stress. The tunneling two-level systems model for glasses is missing interactions between excitation; in contrast, interactions lead to emerging phenomena in Prigogine consideration of systems with energy flow. We observed energy accumulation and delayed release as delayed luminescence in sodium iodine and delayed luminescence suppression by exposure to red light. More studies of fast and delayed luminescence are required.