First Direct-Detection Constraints on eV-Scale Hidden-Photon Dark Matter with DAMIC at SNOLAB

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 118; no. 14; p. 141803
• Main Authors: Aguilar-Arevalo, A, Amidei, D, Bertou, X, Butner, M, Cancelo, G, Castañeda Vázquez, A, Cervantes Vergara, B A, Chavarria, A E, Chavez, C R, de Mello Neto, J R T, D'Olivo, J C, Estrada, J, Fernandez Moroni, G, Gaïor, R, Guardincerri, Y, Hernández Torres, K P, Izraelevitch, F, Kavner, A, Kilminster, B, Lawson, I, Letessier-Selvon, A, Liao, J, Matalon, A, Mello, V B B, Molina, J, Privitera, P, Ramanathan, K, Sarkis, Y, Schwarz, T, Settimo, M, Sofo Haro, M, Thomas, R, Tiffenberg, J, Tiouchichine, E, Torres Machado, D, Trillaud, F, You, X, Zhou, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 07.04.2017
• ISSN: 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.141803

We present direct detection constraints on the absorption of hidden-photon dark matter with particle masses in the range 1.2-30  eV c^{-2} with the DAMIC experiment at SNOLAB. Under the assumption that the local dark matter is entirely constituted of hidden photons, the sensitivity to the kinetic mixing parameter κ is competitive with constraints from solar emission, reaching a minimum value of 2.2×10^{-14} at 17  eV c^{-2}. These results are the most stringent direct detection constraints on hidden-photon dark matter in the galactic halo with masses 3-12  eV c^{-2} and the first demonstration of direct experimental sensitivity to ionization signals <12  eV from dark matter interactions.