First observation of single photons in a CRESST detector and new dark matter exclusion limits

TL;DR

This paper reports the first detection of single photons in a CRESST detector, demonstrating its capability to probe low-mass dark matter particles and setting new exclusion limits for dark matter interactions below 100 MeV/c².

Contribution

It introduces a novel calibration method using single-photon detection in a cryogenic detector, enabling new dark matter exclusion limits at very low masses.

Findings

First observation of single photons in a CRESST detector.

Set new exclusion limits for dark matter particles below 100 MeV/c².

Achieved an energy threshold of 6.7 eV with high resolution.

Abstract

The main goal of the CRESST-III experiment is the direct detection of dark matter particles via their scattering off target nuclei in cryogenic detectors. In this work we present the results of a Silicon-On-Sapphire (SOS) detector with a mass of 0.6$\,$g and an energy threshold of (6.7$\, \pm \,$0.2)$\,$eV with a baseline energy resolution of (1.0$\, \pm \,$0.2)$\,$eV. This allowed for a calibration via the detection of single luminescence photons in the eV-range, which could be observed in CRESST for the first time. We present new exclusion limits on the spin-independent and spin-dependent dark matter-nucleon cross section that extend to dark matter particle masses of less than 100$\,$MeV/c$^{2}$.