A method for directional detection of dark matter using spectroscopy of crystal defects
A method for directional detection of dark matter using spectroscopy of crystal defects
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DOI：
10.1103/physrevd.96.035009
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发表时间：
2017-05
影响因子：
5
通讯作者：
S. Rajendran;N. Zobrist;A. Sushkov;R. Walsworth;M. Lukin
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
S. Rajendran;N. Zobrist;A. Sushkov;R. Walsworth;M. Lukin
提出了一种利用感生核反冲来识别弱相互作用大质量粒子入射方向的方法。我们的方法是基于宏观固态晶体中的量子缺陷的光谱审问。当WIMP在晶体中散射时，诱导的核反冲产生一个指示性的损伤簇，定位在约50 nm内，其损伤轨迹的方向与反冲的方向以及入射的WIMP的方向很好地相关。这种损伤簇在晶体中引起应变，使附近量子缺陷的能级移动。这些能级位移可以光学测量（或通过顺磁共振），使得可以检测固体样品中缺陷周围的应变环境。作为一个具体的例子，我们考虑在金刚石中的氮空位中心，其中高缺陷密度和纳米级局部化的个别缺陷已被证明。为了定位由于潜在的暗物质事件导致的晶体内的核反冲的毫米级区域，我们可以使用传统的WIMP检测技术，例如电离/闪烁的收集。一旦事件被识别，事件附近的量子缺陷可以被询问以映射应变环境，从而确定反冲的方向。原则上，这种方法应该能够识别反冲方向的效率大于70%，假阳性率小于5%的10 keV的反冲能量。如果成功的话，这种方法将允许在固态密度下定向探测WIMP引起的核反冲，从而使太阳中微子层以下的WIMP参数空间探测成为可能。这种技术也可以潜在地应用于识别粒子的方向，例如中子，其低散射截面需要具有大目标质量的探测器。
We propose a method to identify the direction of an incident Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) via induced nuclear recoil. Our method is based on spectroscopic interrogation of quantum defects in macroscopic solid-state crystals . When a WIMP scatters in a crystal, the induced nuclear recoil creates a tell-tale damage cluster, localized to within about 50 nm, with an orientation to the damage trail that correlates well with the direction of the recoil and hence the incoming WIMP. This damage cluster induces strain in the crystal, shifting the energy levels of nearby quantum defects. These level shifts can be measured optically (or through paramagnetic resonance) making it possible to detect the strain environment around the defect in a solid sample. As a specific example, we consider nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond, for which high defect densities and nanoscale localization of individual defects have been demonstrated. To localize the millimeter-scale region of a nuclear recoil within the crystal due to a potential dark matter event, we can use conventional WIMP detection techniques such as the collection of ionization/scintillation. Once an event is identified, the quantum defects in the vicinity of the event can be interrogated to map the strain environment, thus determining the direction of the recoil. In principle, this approach should be able to identify the recoil direction with an efficiency greater than 70% at a false positive rate less than 5% for 10 keV recoil energies. If successful, this method would allow for directional detection of WIMP-induced nuclear recoils at solid state densities, enabling probes of WIMP parameter space below the solar neutrino floor. This technique could also potentially be applied to identify the direction of particles such as neutrons whose low scattering cross-section requires detectors with a large target mass.