Mesoscopic quantum systems to detect light dark matter (Anirban Das)

Title: Mesoscopic quantum systems to detect light dark matter
Speaker: Anirban Das (Seoul National University)
Abstract: In the last decade, many meso-scale systems have been proposed as possible detectors of sub-GeV dark matter particles, some of which are already being used in experiments. In this talk, I'll describe the mechanisms behind them and introduce a novel way to use quantum devices to measure the power deposition from dark matter scattering. These devices use the sharp transition behavior of superconducting materials to detect tiny 10 meV scale energy deposition, and hence, can measure very small amounts of power. The existing data already places competitive constraint on dark matter-nuclear scattering cross section. Finally, I'll outline ways to improve the sensitivity and how the development of quantum computers could benefit dark matter search.