http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.07617
We propose a method for detecting light dark matter particles via their creation of chiral phonons in standard model matter. We suggest metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as candidate materials for such detectors, as their structural flexibility yields low-energy chiral phonons with magnetic moments that are large enough to detect using sensitive magnetometers, and their anisotropy leads to directional sensitivity, which mitigates background contamination. To demonstrate our proposal, we calculate the phononic structure of the MOF InF$_3$($4,4’$-bipyridine), and show that it has highly chiral acoustic phonons. Detection of such chiral phonons via their magnetic moments would dramatically lower the excitation energy threshold to the energy of a single phonon. We show that single phonon detection in a MOF would extend detector reach ten or more orders of magnitude below current limits, enabling exploration of a multitude of as-yet-unprobed dark matter candidates.
C. Romao, R. Catena, N. Spaldin, et. al.
Thu, 19 Jan 23
24/100
Comments: 11 pages, 4 figures