Broad-Range Directional Detection of Light Dark Matter in Cryogenic Ice

Abstract

We propose hexagonal ice (H${}_2$O) as a new target for light dark matter (DM) direct detection. Ice, a polar material, is suitable for single phonon detection through DM scattering for which we consider light dark photon and light scalar mediator models. We report a rate sensitivity down to a DM mass of $\sim$keV, constituting a broader mass range than other promising candidates. We find better sensitivity for near-term experimental thresholds from the presence of high-frequency phonons. These advantages, and ice's availability, make it highly promising for single-phonon detection.

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References in corpus (3)

• The Dawn of FIMP Dark Matter: A Review of Models and Constraints
• Detection of sub-MeV Dark Matter with Three-Dimensional Dirac Materials
• Combining phonon accuracy with high transferability in Gaussian approximation potential models

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Direct Dark Matter searches with Metal Halide Perovskites