Direct and Indirect Detection of Dark Matter with Novel Targets - Why It Pays to Know a Chemist

Learn about innovative approaches to dark matter detection in this physics seminar from Princeton University researcher Carlos Blanco. Explore how molecular and nano-scale systems, particularly quantum dots and organic crystals, can be utilized to detect sub-GeV dark matter through their eV-scale electronic transitions. Discover the Molecular Migdal Effect as a new directional method for detecting dark matter-induced nuclear recoils in molecular systems. Examine how these theoretical frameworks are being applied to study astrophysical objects and their implications for indirect dark matter detection. Gain insights into why traditional WIMP detection methods are facing challenges and how collaboration with chemistry opens new possibilities for exploring previously unexplored dark matter parameter space beyond the weak scale.