In this talk, I will discuss the physics potential of coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering (CEvNS), a neutral-current process in which a neutrino scatters coherently off an entire nucleus. I will begin by reviewing the main theoretical features of CEvNS and the current experimental status, highlighting measurements from spallation neutron sources, reactor neutrino experiments, and the first indications of CEvNS from $^8$B solar neutrinos observed in dark matter direct detection experiments.
These observations have opened a broad range of opportunities for both Standard Model tests and new physics searches. I will discuss how CEvNS enables precision probes of weak interactions, constraints on neutrino properties, and sensitivity to new interactions.
I will also discuss the implications of CEvNS for dark matter direct detection, where astrophysical neutrinos constitute an irreducible background. I will show how CEvNS measurements inform the interpretation of direct detection data, while at the same time opening new avenues for new physics searches with neutrinos in current and upcoming experiments.
