Rare Event Searches Using Cryogenic Detectors via Direct Detection Methods

Abstract

Cryogenic detectors are at the forefront of rare-event search experiments, including direct detection of dark matter, coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering, neutrinoless double-beta decay, and searches for fractionally charged particles. Their unique ability to achieve ultra-low energy thresholds, typically O(eV-100 eV), together with excellent energy resolution and effective background suppression, makes them sensitive to extremely faint signals from rare interactions. These rare particle interactions produce phonons, ionization, or scintillation, depending on the target medium, which are registered by specialized sensors and converted into measurable signals. This review summarizes the underlying detection principles, surveys major experiments and recent results, examines forthcoming initiatives, and outlines the evolving role of cryogenic detectors in advancing the frontiers of rare-event physics.