Researchers from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) collaboration, a global team of scientists led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, have recently presented their findings on the search for light dark matter and the detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) from solar neutrinos. The LZ experiment, located deep underground in the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, aims to detect dark matter particles as they interact with a large vat of liquid xenon.
The research, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, utilized a 5.7 tonne-year exposure of data collected between March 2023 and April 2025. The scientists focused on an energy range of 1-6 keV, where they expected to find signals from both dark matter and CEvNS interactions. While no significant excess of events attributable to dark matter nuclear recoils was observed, the researchers did detect a significant signal consistent with CEvNS interactions from 8B solar neutrinos. This signal corresponds to a 4.5σ statistical significance, making it the most substantial evidence of 8B CEvNS interactions observed to date.
The LZ experiment’s robust background modeling and mitigation techniques enabled this detection of rare signals at keV-scale energies. This capability is crucial for the energy sector, particularly in the context of nuclear energy, where understanding neutrino interactions can lead to improved reactor designs and safety measures. Additionally, the advanced detection techniques developed for the LZ experiment can be applied to other areas of energy research, such as monitoring and mitigating radiation effects in materials used in energy production and storage.
In the search for light dark matter, the LZ collaboration set world-leading limits on spin-independent and spin-dependent-neutron dark matter-nucleon interactions for masses down to 5 GeV/c². These findings contribute to the broader understanding of dark matter and its potential interactions with ordinary matter, which could have implications for energy production and storage technologies in the future.
The researchers highlighted that the LZ experiment’s ability to detect rare signals at keV-scale energies demonstrates its potential for further discoveries in both particle physics and energy-related applications. As the experiment continues to collect data, it is expected to provide even more insights into the fundamental nature of dark matter and neutrino interactions, paving the way for innovative solutions in the energy sector.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.