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FRI: Friday Contributed Sessions

FRI 8: Quantum Detectors in Optics and Particle Physics

FRI 8.5: Talk

Friday, September 12, 2025, 11:45–12:00, ZHG009

Optimisation of TES design for the CRESST experiment — •Colin Moore — Max-Planck-Institut für Physik

The Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers (CRESST) experiment aims at the direct detection of sub-GeV dark matter particles via elastic scattering off nuclei in a variety of target crystals at cryogenic temperatures. Located at the underground Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy, CRESST operates cryogenic calorimeters consisting of an absorber crystal equipped with a tungsten Transition Edge Sensor (W-TES).

The W-TES developed in CRESST are composed of a tungsten thin film serving as the sensitive part of the thermometer, a gold thermal link connecting the sensor to the heat bath, and aluminum phonon collectors which increase the collection area of the sensors. Additionally, each W-TES is equipped with a heater which stabilises the sensors within their superconducting transition.

The technology utilised by CRESST allows for a leading energy threshold. Nevertheless, continuous R&D efforts are underway to further improve signal to noise ratio and overall sensitivity. Optimising the TES design is a non-trivial task, owing to the complex interdependence of the properties of the absorber and sensor. To address these challenges, we have conducted detailed studies targeting specific aspects of the TES design and carried out comparative evaluations of various sensors configurations.

In this contribution, we present the outcomes of these optimisation studies and their impact on the performance of CRESST detectors.

Keywords: transition edge sensors; dark matter