The SuperCDMS Experiment

Abstract

WIMP-nucleon cross sections in the range 10^{-46} - 10^{-44} cm^2 may be probed by a ton-scale experiment with low energy thresholds and excellent discrimination of backgrounds. Because CDMS ZIP detectors are the most proven means of achieving such good discrimination, we intend to scale CDMS up to a ton detector mass. Development of this experiment, dubbed "SuperCDMS," is discussed. Improved analysis and optimization of the charge collection and athermal phonon sensors should improve surface-background rejection by over two orders of magnitude. Siting the SuperCDMS experiment deep enough to remove the fast neutron background, and reducing radioactive beta contamination near or on the detectors, should sufficiently reduce these otherwise troubling backgrounds. The primary challenge is making the experiment easy enough to build. We discuss methods of improving the detector manufacturability, removing the need for large-scale cryogenic detector testing, and allowing simplified infrastructure by using more sophisticated readout.