State of the Art in Direct Dark Matter Detectors: Technologies, Performance, and Future Directions

Abstract

Identifying the particle nature of dark matter remains one of the most significant challenges in modern physics. Direct detection experiments aim to observe rare scattering events between dark matter particles and terrestrial targets, a task that demands extreme background suppression and sensitivity to minute energy depositions. This review critically assesses the current experimental landscape, organizing detector technologies by the fundamental physical trade-offs that define their scientific reach. We contrast the multi-tonne scalability of noble-liquid Time Projection Chambers (TPCs), which currently define the sensitivity frontier for high-mass Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), with the precision of cryogenic semiconductors and Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)- based sensors, which dominate the search for low-mass and sub-GeV candidates. Special emphasis is placed on the role of advanced reconstruction pipelines and machine learning (ML) as integral components of detector performance. Finally, we discuss the strategic roadmap for the next decade as experiments approach the neutrino fog, where coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS) produces an increasingly significant and ultimately irreducible background that can mimic DM-induced nuclear recoils. We argue that future progress will rely not on a single technology but on a complementary global program combining increased target mass, ultra-low energy thresholds, improved background discrimination, and distinct observables - such as directionality and temporal signatures - to maintain robust discovery capability in the presence of neutrino-induced backgrounds.