Direct Detection of Leptophobic Dark Matter with Electronic Collective Excitations

Abstract

Some new-generation dark matter detection experiments are primarily designed to search for the dark matter-electron interactions, but they can also be utilized to probe models in which dark matter couples exclusively to nucleon via the quantum effects. The hadronic loop-induced interactions can directly excite plasmons in semiconductors, thereby providing an additional channel for detecting the leptophobic dark matter. In this work, we investigate plasmon excitations in silicon detectors induced by boosted dark matter and cosmic-ray up-scattering dark matter via the hadronic loop process. By analyzing the available experimental data, we derive new exclusion limits on the leptophobic dark matter-nucleon scattering cross section in the sub-MeV mass range.