Speaker
Description
The CRESST-III (Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers) experiment is looking for the direct detection of dark matter particles via their scattering off target nuclei in cryogenic detectors, operated at mK temperatures. Energy thresholds of O(10 eV) allow for the search of sub-GeV dark matter masses, making CRESST one of the leading experiments in the low-mass DM regime. At energies below ~ 200 eV an unexpected rise of events is observed, exceeding the expected background rates. This "Low Energy Excess" (LEE) is limiting the further improvement of low-mass sensitivity in CRESST. The primary focus of current data taking campaigns is therefore fully dedicated to study the origin of the LEE. We present an overview of the CRESST-III experiment and report on both, new DM results as well as recent observations of the LEE. Furthermore we give an update on R&D and future plans for a CRESST upgrade.
