SPLENDOR: a novel detector platform to search for light dark matter with narrow-gap semiconductors

Fuente: arXiv

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Autori principali:	Abbamonte, P., Albert, A., Alves, D. S. M., Anczarski, J., Aralis, T., Böhm, T. U., Boyd, C., Chen, J., Chu, P. -H., Cook, M. S., Fink, C. W., Graesser, M. L., Kahn, Y., Kengle, C. S., Kucinski, T., Kurinsky, N. A., Lane, C., Leder, A., Massarczyk, R., Mazumdar, A., Meijer, S. J., Nie, W., Peterson, E. A., Phipps, A., Ronning, F., Rosa, P. F. S., Rydstrom, I., Sirica, N. S., Smith, Z. J., Stifter, K., Thomas, S. M., Watkins, S. L., Young, B. A., Zhu, J. -X.
Natura:	Preprint
Pubblicazione:	2025
Soggetti:	Instrumentation and Detectors Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics Strongly Correlated Electrons High Energy Physics - Experiment High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Accesso online:	Acceder al recurso
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_version_	1866915447900733440
author	Abbamonte, P. Albert, A. Alves, D. S. M. Anczarski, J. Aralis, T. Böhm, T. U. Boyd, C. Chen, J. Chu, P. -H. Cook, M. S. Fink, C. W. Graesser, M. L. Kahn, Y. Kengle, C. S. Kucinski, T. Kurinsky, N. A. Lane, C. Leder, A. Massarczyk, R. Mazumdar, A. Meijer, S. J. Nie, W. Peterson, E. A. Phipps, A. Ronning, F. Rosa, P. F. S. Rydstrom, I. Sirica, N. S. Smith, Z. J. Stifter, K. Thomas, S. M. Watkins, S. L. Young, B. A. Zhu, J. -X.
author_facet	Abbamonte, P. Albert, A. Alves, D. S. M. Anczarski, J. Aralis, T. Böhm, T. U. Boyd, C. Chen, J. Chu, P. -H. Cook, M. S. Fink, C. W. Graesser, M. L. Kahn, Y. Kengle, C. S. Kucinski, T. Kurinsky, N. A. Lane, C. Leder, A. Massarczyk, R. Mazumdar, A. Meijer, S. J. Nie, W. Peterson, E. A. Phipps, A. Ronning, F. Rosa, P. F. S. Rydstrom, I. Sirica, N. S. Smith, Z. J. Stifter, K. Thomas, S. M. Watkins, S. L. Young, B. A. Zhu, J. -X.
contents	We present the design and current status of SPLENDOR, a novel detector platform that combines narrow-gap semiconductor targets with low-noise charge readout to achieve sensitivity to dark matter energy deposits well below the eV scale. SPLENDOR is designed to be a modular and scalable system able to accommodate different target materials and signal readout technologies. SPLENDOR's present strategy entails: (i) the use of strongly correlated f-electron semiconductors with anisotropic electronic structures to enable not only sub-eV energy thresholds, but also directional sensitivity to the incoming dark matter flux, allowing for signal-background discrimination via daily modulation, and (ii) custom charge readout based on cryogenic high-electron-mobility transistor (cryoHEMT) amplifiers approaching single-electron resolution. We report on the selection and characterization of Eu$_5$In$_2$Sb$_6$ as the target material for SPLENDOR's first prototype detector, as well as the development and calibration of the prototype amplifier chain, achieving a measured charge resolution of 20$\pm$7 electrons in silicon test samples, consistent with predicted performance. This provides a demonstration of the detector architecture, which is now ready for deployment in a dark matter search campaign to deliver SPLENDOR's first science results. Finally, we present estimates of sensitivity reach in the parameter space of athermally produced relic dark matter under high- and low-background environments, and for various amplifier technology upgrades with increasing performance, including planned quantum sensing upgrades in order to achieve our ultimate goal of sub-electron resolution in optimized systems. SPLENDOR provides a novel approach to dark matter direct detection, combining quantum sensing with material's design to open new avenues of exploration in the sub-MeV mass range of dark matter parameter space.
format	Preprint
id	arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_17782
institution	arXiv
publishDate	2025
record_format	arxiv
spellingShingle	SPLENDOR: a novel detector platform to search for light dark matter with narrow-gap semiconductors Abbamonte, P. Albert, A. Alves, D. S. M. Anczarski, J. Aralis, T. Böhm, T. U. Boyd, C. Chen, J. Chu, P. -H. Cook, M. S. Fink, C. W. Graesser, M. L. Kahn, Y. Kengle, C. S. Kucinski, T. Kurinsky, N. A. Lane, C. Leder, A. Massarczyk, R. Mazumdar, A. Meijer, S. J. Nie, W. Peterson, E. A. Phipps, A. Ronning, F. Rosa, P. F. S. Rydstrom, I. Sirica, N. S. Smith, Z. J. Stifter, K. Thomas, S. M. Watkins, S. L. Young, B. A. Zhu, J. -X. Instrumentation and Detectors Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics Strongly Correlated Electrons High Energy Physics - Experiment High Energy Physics - Phenomenology We present the design and current status of SPLENDOR, a novel detector platform that combines narrow-gap semiconductor targets with low-noise charge readout to achieve sensitivity to dark matter energy deposits well below the eV scale. SPLENDOR is designed to be a modular and scalable system able to accommodate different target materials and signal readout technologies. SPLENDOR's present strategy entails: (i) the use of strongly correlated f-electron semiconductors with anisotropic electronic structures to enable not only sub-eV energy thresholds, but also directional sensitivity to the incoming dark matter flux, allowing for signal-background discrimination via daily modulation, and (ii) custom charge readout based on cryogenic high-electron-mobility transistor (cryoHEMT) amplifiers approaching single-electron resolution. We report on the selection and characterization of Eu$_5$In$_2$Sb$_6$ as the target material for SPLENDOR's first prototype detector, as well as the development and calibration of the prototype amplifier chain, achieving a measured charge resolution of 20$\pm$7 electrons in silicon test samples, consistent with predicted performance. This provides a demonstration of the detector architecture, which is now ready for deployment in a dark matter search campaign to deliver SPLENDOR's first science results. Finally, we present estimates of sensitivity reach in the parameter space of athermally produced relic dark matter under high- and low-background environments, and for various amplifier technology upgrades with increasing performance, including planned quantum sensing upgrades in order to achieve our ultimate goal of sub-electron resolution in optimized systems. SPLENDOR provides a novel approach to dark matter direct detection, combining quantum sensing with material's design to open new avenues of exploration in the sub-MeV mass range of dark matter parameter space.
title	SPLENDOR: a novel detector platform to search for light dark matter with narrow-gap semiconductors
topic	Instrumentation and Detectors Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics Strongly Correlated Electrons High Energy Physics - Experiment High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url	https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17782