Scientists are on the hunt for dark matter, which, according to current knowledge, must exist in the universe, including in our galaxy. The problem is that it does not interact with other matter particles and is therefore invisible—and so far undiscovered. Only the DAMA/LIBRA experiment claims to have received signals from dark matter.
So has dark matter already been proven to exist? No, because no other experiment has been able to confirm the DAMA/LIBRA results. In recent years, Karoline Schäffner and her team have set up the COSINUS experiment in the Gran Sasso underground laboratory to verify the controversial dark matter detection. The experiment was inaugurated in April 2024. With technical commissioning now largely complete, measurements are scheduled to begin at the beginning of 2026.
Looking ahead, Schäffner's team will focus on further developing these detectors, which employ a novel quantum sensor layout, to explore previously inaccessible regions of parameter space and potentially detect very light dark matter. Moreover, the innovative detector technology opens new opportunities for studying other rare-event processes.
After studying at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Karoline Schäffner earned her doctorate at TUM. She then conducted postdoctoral research at INFN-LNGS and GSSI in Italy. There she received a research grant of 280,000 euros as start-up funding for the COSINUS project. The project continued at the MPP, where Karoline Schäffner has been leading a Max Planck Research Group endowed with 3 million euros since 2019.
The Max Planck Society's Lise Meitner Excellence Program offers female scientists long-term career prospects. It is named after Lise Meitner, the congenial research partner of chemist Otto Hahn. Since the program began in 2018, 37 Lise Meitner positions have been created. Karoline Schäffner is one of nine candidates who received an appointment to a Max Planck Institute in 2024 – 252 female scientists applied.