A new high-background-rejection dark matter Ge cryogenic detector

Abstract A new design of a cryogenic germanium detector for dark matter search is presented, taking advantage of the coplanar grid technique of event localisation for improved background discrimination. Experiments performed with prototype devices in the EDELWEISS II setup at the Modane underground facility demonstrate the remarkably high efficiency of these devices for the rejection of low-energy β , approaching 10 5 . This opens the road to investigate the range beyond 10 − 8 pb in the WIMP–nucleon collision cross-sections, as proposed in the EURECA project of a one-ton cryogenic detector mass.