Simulations for direct dark matter searches using ALPS II's TES detection system

TL;DR

This paper presents simulations of ALPS II's TES detection system, highlighting its potential for low-background, single-photon detection and direct dark matter searches through electron scattering, with demonstrated sub-eV sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces simulation results for TES-based detection in ALPS II, showing its capability for dark matter searches and background rejection improvements.

Findings

Potential for sub-eV sensitivity in dark matter detection

Effective background rejection demonstrated through simulations

Feasibility of TES for single-photon detection in ALPS II

Abstract

Transition Edge Sensors (TES) are superconducting microcalorimeters that can be used for single-photon detection with extremely low backgrounds. When they are within their superconducting transition region, small temperature fluctuations - like the energy deposited by single photons - lead to large resistance variations. These variations can be measured using Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs). This technology is planned to be used as a single-photon detector for later runs of the ALPS II experiment, a light-shining-through-walls experiment at DESY Hamburg, searching for Axion-Like Particles (ALPs), which are possible Dark Matter (DM) candidates. Due to the very low dark count rates in our setup, our TES system might be viable for direct DM searches at sub-MeV masses through electron-scattering of DM in the superconducting chip, as well. Simulations concerning background rejection and calibration methods demonstrate the needed sub-eV sensitivity already.