PICO-500 is the next generation detector that builds upon the principle demonstrated by PICO-2L, -60, and -40L. The scaled-up detector will have an active volume of about 250 litres and will use a synthetic quartz vessel, just like PICO-2L, PICO-60 and PICO-40L before it. The PICO collaboration is currently working on the final design of the PICO-500 design, focusing on the inner vessel and the pressure vessel. PICO is planning to operate PICO-500 with C3F8 to achieve a world leading sensitivity for dark matter coupling to ordinary matter though its spin.
The experiment has received full funding from CFI and the Canadian provinces. SNOLAB has approved the conceptual design of the experiment and allocated space in the underground facility for PICO-500 in the cube hall area of the lab.