Speaker
Description
Millimeter-thick charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are outstanding particle detectors. Although initially developed for near-infrared astronomy, the low pixel noise also makes them the most sensitive detectors to signals from ionizing radiation. By virtue of their very low energy threshold, and their unique capabilities for background characterization based on their high spatial resolution, CCDs are poised to become the leading technology in the search for a wide variety of dark matter candidates with masses in the range 1 eV–10 GeV. I will present the current status of the completed seven-CCD array of DAMIC at SNOLAB. Sensitivity to WIMP-nucleus elastic scattering has been significantly improved thanks to the increased exposure, lower noise and lower radioactive backgrounds of the final detector configuration. I will also discuss the recent progress towards DAMIC-1K, a lower-background 1-kg CCD dark matter detector.
