https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06905-w
Regular Article
Toward the detection of ultra-low energetic WIMPs with plasmonic metamaterials
1
INESC MN/Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal
2
GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Lisbon, Portugal
3
Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Received:
23
March
2025
Accepted:
25
September
2025
Published online:
15
October
2025
We propose a novel detection method for ultra-low energetic Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) using graphene-based plasmonic metamaterials. By exploiting the interaction between WIMP flux and electron plasmons mediated by the weak force, we demonstrate the possibility of WIMP-plasmon mode conversion. The dynamical instability generated by this interaction leads to plasmon excitation in the metamaterial, with a growth rate proportional to the WIMP beam density. Our results show that this collective interaction, unlike conventional single-particle processes, scales as 
, significantly enhancing sensitivity to WIMP detection. This method offers a new pathway for probing cold Dark Matter, with potential implications for neutrino phenomenology and extensions to the Standard Model.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
