Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Sodium iodide (NaI) is a widely used scintillator in direct dark matter searches. In particular, NaI-based cryogenic scintillating calorimeters have emerged as promising candidates, like in the COSINUS experiment, for testing the annually modulating signal reported by DAMA/LIBRA. In this study, we investigate defect formation within NaI crystals and its impact on the dark matter detection signal. Using molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory techniques, we simulate a DM particle collision on an NaI crystal, focusing on the possible defects formation and their structural and electronic properties. Our analysis includes a detailed study of the electronic states associated with the interstitial atoms and vacancies, the energetic cost of defect formation, and the anisotropic threshold displacement energy. Finally, we highlight the potential to exploit dark matter-induced defects as a novel detection channel, enabled by the introduction of new states within the electronic band gap.
DOI: 10.1103/d87j-58xn
Authors: G. Angloher, M. R. Bharadwaj, A. Böhmer, M. Cababie, I. Colantoni, I. Dafinei, N. Di Marco, C. Dittmar, F. Ferella, F. Ferroni, S. Fichtinger, A. Filipponi, T. Frank, M. Friedl, D. Fuchs, L. Gai, M. Gapp, M. Heikinheimo, M. N. Hughes, K. Huitu, M. Kellermann, R. Maji, M. Mancuso, L. Pagnanini, F. Petricca, S. Pirro, F. Pröbst, G. Profeta, A. Puiu, F. Reindl, K. Schäffner, J. Schieck, P. Schreiner, C. Schwertner, P. Settembri, K. Shera, M. Stahlberg, A. Stendahl, M. Stukel, C. Tresca, S. Yue, V. Zema, Y. Zhu, N. Zimmermann, M. Di Giambattista, F. Giannessi, R. Rollo
Institutions: Max Planck Institute for Physics, Austrian Academy of Sciences, TU Wien, MBI - Marietta-Blau-Institut für Teilchenphysik, Istituto di Nanotecnologia, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma I, Gran Sasso Science Institute, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, University of L'Aquila, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Helsinki Institute of Physics, Snolab
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4417246733