A NaI-based cryogenic scintillating calorimeter. Status and results of the COSINUS project.

The COSINUS (Cryogenic Observatory for SIgnals seen in Next-generation Underground Searches) project aims to provide a model-independent cross-check of the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA claim on the observation of dark matter. The use of sodium iodide (NaI) crystals, operated at cryogenic temperature as scintillating calorimeters, offers both a low energy threshold for nuclear recoils and the possibility to perform particle discrimination. Indeed, the dual read-out of phonon and light allows to perform signal-to-background discrimination on an event-by-event basis, a unique feature in comparison to other NaI-based dark matter searches. In this paper we will present the COSINUS detector concept together with status and future prospects of the project.[GRAPHICS].