Design of QET phonon sensors for the CDMS ZIP detectors

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) ZIP detectors utilize quasiparticle trapping as the mechanism for coupling the energy of a particle interaction in the Ge (or Si) absorber into a tungsten (W) transition edge sensor (TES). Consequently, the dynamics of quasiparticle propagation and loss significantly impact the energy collection and resolution of the detector. This paper describes the considerations necessary in optimizing the detector surface geometry in order to have maximal quasiparticle collection.