Related papers: DarkELF: A python package for dark matter scatteri…
We show that the rate for dark matter-electron scattering in an arbitrary material is determined by an experimentally measurable quantity, the complex dielectric function, for any dark matter interaction that couples to electron density.…
The scattering of sub-GeV dark matter in direct detection experiments happens at characteristic wavelengths comparable or larger than the interparticle spacing. Collective effects in the target material must therefore be accounted for when…
A number of direct detection experiments are searching for electron excitations created by scattering of sub-GeV dark matter. We present an alternate formulation of dark matter-electron scattering in terms of the dielectric response of a…
In most direct detection experiments, the free nuclear recoil description of dark matter scattering breaks down for masses $\lesssim$ 100 MeV, or when the recoil energy is comparable to a few times the typical phonon energy. For dark matter…
A key strategy for the direct detection of sub-GeV dark matter is to search for small ionization signals. These can arise from dark matter-electron scattering or when the dark matter-nucleus scattering process is accompanied by a "Migdal"…
Accurate predictions for dark matter-electron scattering in solids require an all-electron treatment together with a faithful description of dielectric screening beyond simple approximations. In particular, local field effects, arising from…
We extend the calculation of dark matter direct detection rates via electronic transitions in general dielectric crystal targets, combining state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations of electronic band structures and wave…
When a nucleus in an atom undergoes a collision, there is a small probability to inelastically excite an electron as a result of the Migdal effect. In this Letter, we present a first complete derivation of the Migdal effect from dark…
Astronomical and cosmological observations indicate that dark matter should interact very weakly with the electromagnetic radiation. Nevertheless, the existence of such interactions is not precluded by observations nor by theoretical…
There are currently several existing and proposed experiments designed to probe sub-GeV dark matter (DM) using electron ionization in various materials. The projected signal rates for these experiments assume that this ionization yield…
We consider searches for the inelastic scattering of low-mass dark matter at direct detection experiments, using the Migdal effect. We find that there are degeneracies between the dark matter mass and the mass splitting that are difficult…
We show that the scattering rate for any dark matter (DM) interaction with electrons in any target is proportional to several measurable material properties, encapsulated by a single master formula. This generalizes the dielectric function…
Dark matter (DM)-electron scattering is a prime target of a number of direct DM detection experiments and constitutes a promising avenue for exploring interactions of DM in the sub-GeV mass-range, challenging to probe with nuclear recoils.…
Dark matter in the sub-GeV mass range is a theoretically motivated but largely unexplored paradigm. Such light masses are out of reach for conventional nuclear recoil direct detection experiments, but may be detected through the small…
We calculate target-material responses for dark matter--electron scattering at the \textit{ab-initio} all-electron level using atom-centered gaussian basis sets. The all-electron effects enhance the material response at high momentum…
We propose to use the defect creation energy loss in commonly used high energy physics solid state detectors as a tool to statistically identify dark matter signal from background. We simulate the energy loss in the process of defect…
Sub-GeV dark matter (DM) which interacts with electrons can excite electrons occupying molecular orbitals in a scattering event. In particular, aromatic compounds such as benzene or xylene have an electronic excitation energy of a few eV,…
Recently, the importance of the electronic many-body effect in the dark matter (DM) detection has been recognized and a coherent formulation of the DM-electron scattering in terms of the dielectric response of the target material has been…
The electron ionization predicted by the Migdal effect in dark matter-nucleus scattering enhances experimental sensitivity to sub-GeV dark matter. In this work, we demonstrate that lower-energy electron excitations provide a novel and…
Direct detection experiments utilizing electronic excitations are spearheading the search for light, sub-GeV, dark matter (DM). It is thus crucial to have accurate predictions for any DM-electron interaction rate in this regime. EXCEED-DM…