Superconductor dark matter detection?

[johne1618]

Sorry - a very vague question:

Could a superconductor be used to detect dark matter?

The dark matter might interact with electrons in the superconductor giving them some momentum.

These moving electrons would constitute a supercurrent which could be measured - maybe!

Perhaps the interaction with the dark matter would break the "Cooper pairs" and so destroy a supercurrent. Maybe that could be the basis of a detection method instead?

 

[mfb]

Superconductors can help in dark matter searches, but not in the way you describe it - you have electrons with non-zero momentum in every material (and no way to see individual electrons with small momenta), it does not matter if it is a superconductor or not.

 

[johne1618]

Superconductors can help in dark matter searches, but not in the way you describe it - you have electrons with non-zero momentum in every material (and no way to see individual electrons with small momenta), it does not matter if it is a superconductor or not.

Perhaps one could accurately measure the supercurrent in a superconducting loop by measuring the magnetic field around it using a SQUID. Apparently they are accurate to a magnetic flux quantum $h/e$.