Speaker
Description
We present the calculations of using advanced germanium (Ge) detectors to search for dark photons in terms of absorption and conversion to electrons. A Ge detector utilizing internal charge amplification for the charge carriers created by the ionization of impurities is a novel technology with experimental sensitivity for detecting dark photons. We calculate the sensitivity of such a Ge experiment for detecting dark photons in the low-energy region and discuss our effort to fabricate such a detector in our lab that realizes Ge internal charge amplification (GeICA). We show that, if GeICA technology becomes available, then a new opportunity arises to observe dark photons.
This work is done under the collaboration PIRE-GEMADARC. It was sponsored by NSF OISE-1743790 and NSF OIA-1738632, DOE DESC0004768, and the state of South Dakota.