Speakers
Description
The SPLENDOR collaboration (Search for Particles of Light dark mattEr with Narrow-gap semiconDuctORs) is using novel narrow-bandgap single-crystal semiconductors as ionization detectors to search for low mass dark matter. We have developed a series of magnetic Zintl phase semiconductors with electronic bandgaps on the order of 1-100 meV, which will allow for sensitivities to fermionic dark matter with sub-MeV masses and bosonic dark matter with sub-eV masses. The materials are operated as ionization detectors, instrumented in a point contact geometry operated at mK temperatures, with the excited charge signal being read out with low-noise cryogenic HEMT based amplifiers. Our prototype charge amplifier has achieved sub-10 electron resolution and its performance is independent of detector material - offering utility to many other ionization based detection schemes. In this contribution, we will give an overview of the SPLENDOR project, discuss our recent progress, and give preliminary results from our first run with our Eu$_5$In$_2$Sb$_6$ based detector.
This presentation is on behalf of the SPLENDOR collaboration and is supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
