First observation of single photons in a CRESST detector and new dark matter exclusion limits

Angloher, G.; Banik, S.; Benato, G.; Bento, A.; Bertolini, A.; Breier, R.; Bucci, C.; Burkhart, J.; Canonica, L.; D'Addabbo, A.; Di Lorenzo, S.; Einfalt, L.; Erb, A.; Feilitzsch, F.  v.; Fichtinger, S.; Fuchs, D.; Garai, A.; Ghete, V.  m.; Gorla, P.; Guillaumon, P.  v.; Gupta, S.; Hauff, D.; Ješkovský, M.; Jochum, J.; Kaznacheeva, M.; Kinast, A.; Kluck, H.; Kraus, H.; Kuckuk, S.; Langenkämper, A.; Mancuso, M.; Marini, L.; Mauri, B.; Meyer, L.; Mokina, V.; 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.; Wagner, F.; Wagner, V.; Zema, V.; Null, Null

doi:10.1103/physrevd.110.083038

The main goal of the CRESST-III experiment is the direct detection of dark matter particles via their scattering off target nuclei in cryogenic detectors. In this work we present the results of a silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) detector with a mass of 0.6 g and an energy threshold of (6.7±0.2) eV with a baseline energy resolution of (1.0±0.2) eV. This allowed for a calibration via the detection of single luminescence photons in the eV-range, which could be observed in CRESST for the first time. We present new exclusion limits on the spin-independent and spin-dependent dark matter-nucleon cross section that extend to dark matter particle masses of less than 100 MeV/c2.