Speaker
Description
Leading cosmological surveys and models provide strong indications for cold Dark Matter (DM) being a major constituent of our Universe. However, direct observation of the hypothesized galactic flux of DM particles streaming through the Earth remains an open quest.
The SuperCDMS collaboration is currently constructing a Generation-2 direct DM search experiment at the SNOLAB underground facility in Sudbury, Canada. It will employ two types of state-of-the-art cryogenic Ge and Si detectors capable of detecting sub-keV energy depositions. The unique mix of target substrates and detector technologies allows for a simultaneous study of intrinsic and external backgrounds as well as exploring the DM mass range below 10 GeV/$c^2$ with world-leading sensitivity.
In order to extend the sensitivity to lower DM masses, a precise understanding of the detector response down to the semiconductor bandgap energy is required. This effort is driven by a comprehensive prototype testing program and the development of a sophisticated Detector Monte-Carlo to guide the data analysis and model building.
This talk will present an overview of our detector technology and recent milestones towards science operation with SuperCDMS at SNOLAB.
| Submitted on behalf of a Collaboration? | Yes |
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