Abstract:
We propose a method for detecting single chiral phonons and their use as directional dark matter detectors with record-breaking O(meV) energy thresholds. As recent experimental findings suggest, chiral phonons in non-centrosymmetric materials exhibit giant magnetic moments well within reach of quantum magnetometers such as SQUIDs, making the readout of single phonons technologically feasible. Since phonons are some of the material excitations with the lowest energy thresholds, this detection mechanism would be capable of exploring a multitude of unprobed dark-matter candidates as well as serve as a quantum sensor that can open up new directions in precision measurements for experimental physics.

Chair:
Roman Lavicka