An international collaboration led by the Hebrew University and the University of Zurich has developed a unique superconducting detector that has achieved record sensitivity in the search for light dark matter, opening a new horizon for particle physics.
A new experiment called QROCODILE, led by the University of Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has achieved record sensitivity in the search for light dark matter. Using superconducting detectors cooled to almost absolute zero, the team has set new global limits on how dark matter interacts with ordinary matter – opening the door to future breakthroughs in one of physics’ greatest mysteries.
Dark matter, the elusive substance that makes up about 85 percent of the mass of the universe, remains one of the greatest mysteries in physics. Invisible and undetectable by conventional means, it neither emits nor absorbs light, leaving scientists with only indirect evidence of its existence. For decades, researchers have tried in vain to capture even a small hint of the existence of dark matter particles.
Now, an international collaboration of scientists has presented promising initial results using a novel experiment called QROCODILE (Quantum Resolution-Optimized Cryogenic Observatory for Dark matter Incident at Low Energy). The project, jointly led by the University of Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and also involving Cornell University, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and MIT, points to a new path in the search for “light dark matter” particles.
At the heart of QROCODILE is a state-of-the-art superconducting detector capable of measuring extremely tiny energy deposits – down to just 0.11 electron volts, millions of times smaller than the energies typically measured in particle physics experiments. This sensitivity opens up a whole new research frontier: examining the existence of ultra-light dark matter particles, thousands of times smaller than the particles tested in previous experiments.
During a measurement run lasting over 400 hours at temperatures close to absolute zero, the team recorded a small number of unexplained signals. While it is not yet possible to confirm that they are dark matter – they may originate from cosmic rays or natural background radiation – they already allow us to set new global limits on how light dark matter particles might interact with electrons and atomic nuclei.
Another advantage of the experiment is the potential to identify the directionality of incoming signals. Because Earth moves within the galactic halo, dark matter particles are expected to arrive from a preferred direction. Future upgrades may allow scientists to distinguish between real dark matter signals and random background noise—a critical step toward an unambiguous detection.
Prof. Yonit Hochberg from the Rakeh Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University, one of the leading researchers in the project, explains:
"For the first time, we have succeeded in placing new constraints on the existence of ultra-light dark matter. This is an important first step on the way to larger experiments that could ultimately lead to the long-awaited direct detection."
The next phase of the project, to be called NILE QROCODILE, will further upgrade the detector's sensitivity and move the experiment underground to protect it from cosmic rays. With better insulation, larger detector arrays, and even lower energy thresholds, the researchers hope to push the boundaries of our understanding of the dark universe.
The research article titled "First Sub-MeV Dark Matter Search with the QROCODILE Experiment Using Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors" Now published inPhysical Review Letters And available at the link:
https://doi.org/10.1103/4hb6-f6jl
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