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Constraints on sub-GeV dark matter scattering on electrons with COSINE-100

L. E. França1,*, N. Carlin1, J. Y. Cho2, S. J. Cho3, S. Choi4, A. C. Ezeribe5, O. Gileva3, C. Ha6, I. S. Hahn7,8,9 et al. (COSINE-100 Collaboration)

I. S. Hahn7,8,9, S. J. Hollick10, E. J. Jeon3,9, H. W. Joo4, W. G. Kang3, M. Kauer11, B. H. Kim3, D. Y. Kim3, H. J. Kim2, J. Kim6, K. W. Kim3, S. H. Kim3, S. K. Kim4, W. K. Kim9,3, Y. D. Kim3,9, Y. H. Kim3,9, B. R. Ko12, Y. J. Ko13, D. H. Lee2, E. K. Lee3, H. Lee9,3, H. S. Lee3,9, H. Y. Lee7, I. S. Lee3, J. Lee3, J. Y. Lee2, M. H. Lee3,9, S. H. Lee9,3, S. M. Lee4, Y. J. Lee6, D. S. Leonard3, N. T. Luan2, V. H. A. Machado1, B. B. Manzato1, R. H. Maruyama10, S. L. Olsen3, H. K. Park12, H. S. Park14, J. C. Park15, J. S. Park2, K. S. Park3, K. Park3, S. D. Park2, R. L. C. Pitta1, H. Prihtiadi16, S. J. Ra3, C. Rott17, K. A. Shin3, D. F. F. S. Cavalcante1, M. K. Son15, N. J. C. Spooner5, L. T. Truc2, L. Yang18, and G. H. Yu3 (COSINE-100 Collaboration)

  • 1Physics Institute, University of São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
  • 2Department of Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
  • 3Center for Underground Physics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34126, Republic of Korea
  • 4Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
  • 5Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom
  • 6Department of Physics, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
  • 7Center for Exotic Nuclear Studies, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 34126, Republic of Korea
  • 8Department of Science Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
  • 9IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
  • 10Department of Physics and Wright Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
  • 11Department of Physics and Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
  • 12Department of Accelerator Science, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea
  • 13Department of Physics, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Republic of Korea
  • 14Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
  • 15Department of Physics and Institute for Sciences of the Universe, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
  • 16Department of Physics, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, Indonesia
  • 17Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
  • 18Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA

  • *Contact author: luis.eduardo.franca@usp.br
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 072012 – Published 20 April, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kszv-g7tl

Abstract

We present results of the search for sub-GeV dark matter interaction with electrons in the NaI(Tl) crystals of the COSINE-100 experiment. The two benchmark scenarios of a heavy and a light vector boson as mediator of the interaction were studied. We found no excess events over the expected background in a dataset of 2.82 years, with a total exposure of 172.9  kg−year. The derived 90% confidence level upper limits exclude a dark matter (DM)-electron scattering cross section above 6.4×10−33  cm2 for a DM mass of 0.25 GeV, assuming a light mediator; and above 3.4×10−37  cm2 for a 0.4 GeV DM, assuming a heavy mediator, and represent the most stringent constraints for a NaI(Tl) target to date. We also briefly discuss a planned analysis using an annual modulation method below the current 0.7 keV threshold of COSINE-100, down to few photoelectrons yield.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 072012– Published 20 April, 2026
  • Received 3 October 2025
  • Accepted 16 March 2026
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