Enectali Figueroa-Feliciano (Northwestern) - Quantum Sensors for Dark Matter Detection

Low-mass dark matter is now a central focus in direct-detection research. Decades without a WIMP signal have driven the community to broaden theoretical models and explore new mass ranges. The next frontier is detecting dark-matter interactions at eV scales and below.  The SuperCDMS-derived HVeV R&D devices  have shown resolution below 1 eV, and advances in quantum sensing have opened pathways to meV thresholds using qubit-based parity detection and even µeV sensitivity through quantum acoustic techniques. I will discuss all these new developments and present an idea for a new experiment that combines these technologies to obtain sensitivity to energy recoils over a huge dynamic range from µeV to keV. 

The Physics Colloquium covers a wide range of topics and should be accessible to advanced Physics Majors.  Tea and coffee will be served from 3:45pm with the presentation beginning at 4pm.