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arXiv · 2508.02402

Low-Energy Calibration of SuperCDMS HVeV Cryogenic Silicon Calorimeters Using Compton Steps

SuperCDMS Collaboration·M. F. Albakry·I. Alkhatib·D. Alonso-Gonźalez·D. W. P. Amaral·J. Anczarski·T. Aralis·T. Aramaki·I. Ataee Langroudy·C. Bathurst·R. Bhattacharyya·A. J. Biffl·P. L. Brink·M. Buchanan·R. Bunker·B. Cabrera·R. Calkins·R. A. Cameron·C. Cartaro·D. G. Cerdeño·Y. -Y. Chang·M. Chaudhuri·J. -H. Chen·R. Chen·N. Chott·J. Cooley·H. Coombes·P. Cushman·R. Cyna·S. Das·S. Dharani·M. L. di Vacri·M. D. Diamond·M. Elwan·S. Fallows·E. Fascione·E. Figueroa-Feliciano·S. L. Franzen·A. Gevorgian·M. Ghaith·G. Godden·J. Golatkar·S. R. Golwala·R. Gualtieri·J. Hall·S. A. S. Harms·C. Hays·B. A. Hines·Z. Hong·L. Hsu·M. E. Huber·V. Iyer·V. K. S. Kashyap·S. T. D. Keller·M. H. Kelsey·K. T. Kennard·Z. Kromer·A. Kubik·N. A. Kurinsky·M. Lee·J. Leyva·B. Lichtenberg·J. Liu·Y. Liu·E. Lopez Asamar·P. Lukens·R. López Noé·D. B. MacFarlane·R. Mahapatra·J. S. Mammo·N. Mast·A. J. Mayer·P. C. McNamara·H. Meyer zu Theenhausen·É. Michaud·E. Michielin·K. Mickelson·N. Mirabolfathi·M. Mirzakhani·B. Mohanty·D. Mondal·D. Monteiro·J. Nelson·H. Neog·V. Novati·J. L. Orrell·M. D. Osborne·S. M. Oser·L. Pandey·S. Pandey·R. Partridge·P. K. Patel·D. S. Pedreros·W. Peng·W. L. Perry·R. Podviianiuk·M. Potts·S. S. Poudel·A. Pradeep·M. Pyle
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Abstract

Cryogenic calorimeters for low-mass dark matter searches have achieved sub-eV energy resolutions, driving advances in both low-energy calibration techniques and our understanding of detector physics. The energy deposition spectrum of gamma rays scattering off target materials exhibits step-like features, known as Compton steps, near the binding energies of atomic electrons. We demonstrate a successful use of Compton steps for sub-keV calibration of cryogenic silicon calorimeters, utilizing four SuperCDMS High-Voltage eV-resolution (HVeV) detectors operated with 0 V bias across the crystal. This new calibration at 0 V is compared with the established high-voltage calibration using optical photons. The comparison indicates that the detector response at 0 V is about 30% weaker than expected, highlighting challenges in detector response modeling for low-mass dark matter searches.

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SuperCDMS Collaboration, M. F. Albakry, I. Alkhatib, D. Alonso-Gonźalez, D. W. P. Amaral, J. Anczarski, T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I. Ataee Langroudy, C. Bathurst, R. Bhattacharyya, A. J. Biffl, P. L. Brink, M. Buchanan, R. Bunker, B. Cabrera, R. Calkins, R. A. Cameron, C. Cartaro, D. G. Cerdeño, Y. -Y. Chang, M. Chaudhuri, J. -H. Chen, R. Chen, N. Chott, J. Cooley, H. Coombes, P. Cushman, R. Cyna, S. Das, S. Dharani, M. L. di Vacri, M. D. Diamond, M. Elwan, S. Fallows, E. Fascione, E. Figueroa-Feliciano, S. L. Franzen, A. Gevorgian, M. Ghaith, G. Godden, J. Golatkar, S. R. Golwala, R. Gualtieri, J. Hall, S. A. S. Harms, C. Hays, B. A. Hines, Z. Hong, L. Hsu, M. E. Huber, V. Iyer, V. K. S. Kashyap, S. T. D. Keller, M. H. Kelsey, K. T. Kennard, Z. Kromer, A. Kubik, N. A. Kurinsky, M. Lee, J. Leyva, B. Lichtenberg, J. Liu, Y. Liu, E. Lopez Asamar, P. Lukens, R. López Noé, D. B. MacFarlane, R. Mahapatra, J. S. Mammo, N. Mast, A. J. Mayer, P. C. McNamara, H. Meyer zu Theenhausen, É. Michaud, E. Michielin, K. Mickelson, N. Mirabolfathi, M. Mirzakhani, B. Mohanty, D. Mondal, D. Monteiro, J. Nelson, H. Neog, V. Novati, J. L. Orrell, M. D. Osborne, S. M. Oser, L. Pandey, S. Pandey, R. Partridge, P. K. Patel, D. S. Pedreros, W. Peng, W. L. Perry, R. Podviianiuk, M. Potts, S. S. Poudel, A. Pradeep, M. Pyle. 2025-08-04. Low-Energy Calibration of SuperCDMS HVeV Cryogenic Silicon Calorimeters Using Compton Steps. https://doi.org/10.1103/jj7w-gkgg

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