Journal
PHYSICAL REVIEW D
Volume 95, Issue 9, Pages -Publisher
AMER PHYSICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.95.095001
Keywords
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Funding
- U.S. NSF [CHE-1464841]
- U.S. DOE [DE-SC0009841, DE-AC02-05CH11231]
- WPI, Japan
- MEXT, Japan
- NSF [PHY-1417295, PHY-1507160]
- Simons Foundation [378243]
- HeisingSimons Foundation [2015-038]
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) [DE-SC0009841] Funding Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1464841] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien
- Division Of Physics [1417295] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Chemistry [1464841] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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We propose a new application of single molecule magnet crystals: their use as magnetic bubble chambers for the direct detection of sub-GeV dark matter. The spins in these macroscopic crystals effectively act as independent nanoscale magnets. When antialigned with an external magnetic field they form metastable states with a relaxation time that can be very long at sufficiently low temperatures. The Zeeman energy stored in this system can be released through localized heating, caused for example by the scattering or absorption of dark matter, resulting in a spin avalanche (or magnetic deflagration) that amplifies the effects of the initial heat deposit, enabling detection. Much like the temperature and pressure in a conventional bubble chamber, the temperature and external magnetic field set the detection threshold for a single molecule magnet crystal. We discuss this detector concept for dark matter detection and propose ways to ameliorate backgrounds. If successfully developed, this detector concept can search for hidden photon dark matter in the meV-eV mass range with sensitivities exceeding current bounds by several orders of magnitude.
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