The SWEET project: probing sugar crystals for direct dark matter searches

Abstract

Several experiments searching for direct dark matter interactions aim to achieve unprecedented sensitivity to sub-GeV/c${}^2$ dark matter masses through elastic scattering with nuclei in various target crystals at cryogenic temperatures. Hydrogen-rich materials, such as organic compounds, are promising candidates for the detection of sub-GeV/c${}^2$ dark matter due to favourable kinematics. In this paper, we present for the first time results obtained with a sugar-based phonon detector employing sucrose crystals (${\mathbf{C}}_{12}{\mathbf{H}}_{22}{\mathbf{O}}_{11}$), capable of particle detection with associated scintillation light.