Optimization of TES Design for the CRESST Experiment

Angloher, G.; Banik, S.; Bento, A.; Bertolini, A.; Breier, R.; Bucci, C.; Burkhart, J.; Burmeister, L.; Canonica, L.; Cipelli, E.; Lorenzo, S. Di; Dohm, J.; Dominsky, F.; Erb, A.; Fascione, E.; Feilitzsch, F. V.; Fichtinger, S.; Fuchs, D.; Ghete, V. M.; Gorla, P.; Guillaumon, P. V.; Gupta, S.; Hauff, D.; Ješkovský, M.; Jochum, J.; Kaznacheeva, M.; Kluck, H.; Kraus, H.; Von Krosigk, B.; Langenkämper, A.; Mancuso, M.; Mauri, B.; Mokina, V.; Moore, C.; Murali, P.; Olmi, M.; Ortmann, T.; Pagliarone, C.; Pattavina, L.; Petricca, F.; Potzel, W.; Povinec, P.; Pröbst, F.; Pucci, F.; Reindl, F.; Rothe, J.; Schäffner, K.; Schieck, J.; Schönert, S.; Schwertner, C.; Stahlberg, M.; Stodolsky, L.; Strandhagen, C.; Strauss, R.; Usherov, I.; Zanirato, M.; Zema, V.

doi:10.1109/tasc.2026.3680071

The CRESST experiment aims at the direct detection of sub-GeV dark matter particles via elastic scattering off nuclei in different target crystals at cryogenic temperatures. The advancement in W-TES sensors allowed the CRESST detectors to reach energy thresholds of 10 eV and lower, opening the way to the exploration of dark matter masses as low as \sim 70\,MeV/c^{2}. This work presents optimisation studies of W-TESs aimed at further improving the signal-to-noise ratio and overall detector performance. In particular, we investigate the thickness, dimensions, and material composition of phonon collectors and assess their impact on detector response. The results demonstrate a significant performance enhancement and establish new benchmarks for the sensors used within CRESST.