Dark Matter Detection Using Phonon Sensing in Amorphous Materials

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel amorphous material-based phonon detector for dark matter absorption, offering broadband sensitivity and potential to surpass current constraints in the 50-200 meV mass range.

Contribution

It introduces a new amorphous target detector concept that enhances dark matter absorption detection across a broad energy spectrum.

Findings

Broadband response in amorphous materials enhances detection prospects.

Prototype with microgram target mass can probe dark photon absorption.

Potential to improve constraints by up to two orders of magnitude.

Abstract

We present a concept for a tabletop-scale detector with an amorphous target designed to search for dark matter absorption into phonon excitations. In crystalline materials, absorption occurs only at narrow resonances where the dark matter mass matches a zero momentum optical phonon mode, whereas amorphous targets provide a broadband response that can substantially enhance the absorption rate away from these resonances. The predicted backgrounds arise from the relaxation of disorder-induced metastable defects in the amorphous target, as well as from low-energy noise intrinsic to superconducting phonon sensors. A prototype detector with a target mass of only a few $\mu$g could provide broadband sensitivity to dark photon absorption across the 50 meV-200 meV mass range, probing up to two orders of magnitude beyond existing constraints.