Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• A new class of higher quantum Airy structures as modules of $\mathcal{W}(\mathfrak{gl}_r)$-algebras

  Vincent Bouchard, Kieran Mastel

  SciPost Phys. 14, 169 (2023) · published 26 June 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Quantum $r$-Airy structures can be constructed as modules of $\mathcal{W}(\mathfrak{gl}_r)$-algebras via restriction of twisted modules for the underlying Heisenberg algebra. In this paper we classify all such higher quantum Airy structures that arise from modules twisted by automorphisms of the Cartan subalgebra consisting of products of disjoint cycles of the same length. An interesting feature of these higher quantum Airy structures is that the dilaton shifts must be chosen carefully to satisfy a matrix invertibility condition, with a natural choice being roots of unity. We explore how these higher quantum Airy structures may provide a definition of the Chekhov, Eynard, and Orantin topological recursion for reducible algebraic spectral curves. We also study under which conditions quantum $r$-Airy structures that come from modules twisted by arbitrary automorphisms can be extended to new quantum $(r+1)$-Airy structures by appending a trivial one-cycle to the twist without changing the dilaton shifts.

  3 citations

• Reading between the rational sections: Global structures of 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ KK theories

  Cyril Closset, Horia Magureanu

  SciPost Phys. 16, 137 (2024) · published 28 May 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study how the global structure of rank-one 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric field theories is encoded into global aspects of the Seiberg-Witten elliptic fibration. Starting with the prototypical example of the $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ gauge theory, we distinguish between relative and absolute Seiberg-Witten curves. For instance, we discuss in detail the three distinct absolute curves for the $SU(2)$ and $SO(3)_±$ 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories. We propose that the $1$-form symmetry of an absolute theory is isomorphic to a torsion subgroup of the Mordell-Weil group of sections of the absolute curve, while the full defect group of the theory is encoded in the torsion sections of a so-called relative curve. We explicitly show that the relative and absolute curves are related by isogenies (that is, homomorphisms of elliptic curves) generated by torsion sections - hence, gauging a one-form symmetry corresponds to composing isogenies between Seiberg-Witten curves. We apply this approach to Kaluza-Klein (KK) 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories that arise from toroidal compactifications of 5d and 6d SCFTs to four dimensions, uncovering an intricate pattern of 4d global structures obtained by gauging discrete $0$-form and/or $1$-form symmetries. Incidentally, we propose a 6d BPS quiver for the 6d M-string theory on $\mathbb{R}^4× T^2$.

  3 citations

• LHC tau-pair production constraints on $a_\tau$ and $d_\tau$

  Ulrich Haisch, Luc Schnell, Joachim Weiss

  SciPost Phys. 16, 048 (2024) · published 14 February 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We point out that relevant constraints on the anomalous magnetic ($a_\tau$) and electric ($d_\tau$) moment of the tau lepton can be derived from tau-pair production measurements performed at the LHC. Our conclusion is based on the observation that the leading relative deviations from the Standard Model prediction for $pp \to \tau^+ \tau^-$ due to $a_\tau$ and $d_\tau$ are enhanced at high energies. Less precise measurements at hadron colliders can therefore offer the same or better sensitivity to new physics with respect to high-precision low-energy measurements performed at lepton machines. We derive bounds on $a_\tau$ and $d_\tau$ using the full LHC Run II data set on tau-pair production and compare our findings with the current best limits on the tau anomalous moments.

  3 citations

• Hitting two BSM particles with one lepton-jet: search for a top partner decaying to a dark photon, resulting in a lepton-jet

  K. du Plessis, M. M. Flores, D. Kar, S. Sinha, H. van der Schyf

  SciPost Phys. 13, 018 (2022) · published 15 August 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  A maverick top partner model, decaying to a dark photon was suggested. The dark photon decays to two overlapping electrons for dark photon masses of $\approx 100$ GeV, and results in a so-called lepton-jet. The event includes a top quark as well, which results in events with two boosted objects, one heavy and the other light. We propose a search strategy exploiting the unique signal topology. We show that for a set of kinematic selections, both in hadronic and leptonic decay channel of the SM top quark, almost all background can be eliminated, leaving enough signal events up to top partner mass of about 3 TeV for the search to be viable at the LHC.

  3 citations

• MEG: Muon to Electron and Gamma

  A.M. Baldini, T. Mori

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 5, 019 (2021) · published 6 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The possible existence of the muon to electron and gamma decay predicted by many new physics scenarios is investigated by stopping positive muons in a very thin target and measuring emitted photons and positrons with the best possible resolutions. Photons are measured by a 2.7 ton ultra pure liquid xenon detector while positron trajectories are measured in a specially designed gradient magnetic field by low-mass drift chambers and precisely timed by scintillation counters. A first phase of the experiment (MEG) ended in 2016, and excluded the existence of the decay with branching ratios larger than 4.2x10**(-13) (90% C.L.). This provides approximately 30 times stronger constraints on a variety of new physics models than previous experiments. In the second phase (MEG II), most of the detectors have been upgraded by adopting up-to-date technologies to improve the search sensitivity by another order of magnitude down to O(10**(-19) ). MEG II will pursue new physics beyond the Standard Model complementary to high energy collider experiments with a compatible or even higher sensitivity.

  3 citations

• From classical to quantum regime of topological surface states via defect engineering

  Maryam Salehi, Xiong Yao, Seongshik Oh

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 58 (2022) · published 21 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Since the notion of topological insulator (TI) was envisioned in late 2000s, topology has become a new paradigm in condensed matter physics. Realization of topology as a generic property of materials has led to numerous predictions of topological effects. Although most of the classical topological effects, directly resulting from the presence of the spin-momentum-locked topological surface states (TSS), were experimentally confirmed soon after the theoretical prediction of TIs, many topological quantum effects remained elusive for a long while. It turns out that native defects, particularly interfacial defects, have been the main culprit behind this impasse. Even after quantum regime is achieved for the bulk states, TSS still tends to remain in the classical regime due to high density of interfacial defects, which frequently donate mobile carriers due to the very nature of the topologically-protected surface states. However, with several defect engineering schemes that suppress these effects, a series of topological quantum effects have emerged including quantum anomalous Hall effect, quantum Hall effect, quantized Faraday/Kerr rotations, topological quantum phase transitions, axion insulating state, zeroth-Landau level state, etc. Here, we review how these defect engineering schemes have allowed topological surface states to pull out of the murky classical regime and reveal their elusive quantum signatures, over the past decade.

  3 citations

• Monitoring continuous spectrum observables: the strong measurement limit

  Michel Bauer, Denis Bernard, Tony Jin

  SciPost Phys. 5, 037 (2018) · published 24 October 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We revisit aspects of monitoring observables with continuous spectrum in a quantum system subject to dissipative (Lindbladian) or conservative (Hamiltonian) evolutions. After recalling some of the salient features of the case of pure monitoring, we deal with the case when monitoring is in competition with a Lindbladian evolution. We show that the strong measurement limit leads to a diffusion on the spectrum of the observable. For the case with competition between observation and Hamiltonian dynamics, we exhibit a scaling limit in which the crossover between the classical regime and a diffusive regime can be analyzed in details.

  3 citations

• A coupling prescription for post-Newtonian corrections in quantum mechanics

  Jelle Hartong, Emil Have, Niels A. Obers, Igor Pikovski

  SciPost Phys. 16, 088 (2024) · published 27 March 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The interplay between quantum theory and general relativity remains one of the main challenges of modern physics. A renewed interest in the low-energy limit is driven by the prospect of new experiments that could probe this interface. Here we develop a covariant framework for expressing post-Newtonian corrections to Schrödinger's equation on arbitrary gravitational backgrounds based on a $1/c^2$ expansion of Lorentzian geometry, where $c$ is the speed of light. Our framework provides a generic coupling prescription of quantum systems to gravity that is valid in the intermediate regime between Newtonian gravity and General Relativity, and that retains the focus on geometry. At each order in $1/c^2$ this produces a nonrelativistic geometry to which quantum systems at that order couple. By considering the gauge symmetries of both the nonrelativistic geometries and the $1/c^2$ expansion of the complex Klein-Gordon field, we devise a prescription that allows us to derive the Schrödinger equation and its post-Newtonian corrections on a gravitational background order-by-order in $1/c^2$. We also demonstrate that these results can be obtained from a $1/c^2$ expansion of the complex Klein-Gordon Lagrangian. We illustrate our methods by performing the $1/c^2$ expansion of the Kerr metric up to $\mathcal{O}(c^{-2})$, which leads to a special case of the Hartle-Thorne metric. The associated Schrödinger equation captures novel and potentially measurable effects.

  3 citations

• An unfolding method based on conditional invertible neural networks (cINN) using iterative training

  Mathias Backes, Anja Butter, Monica Dunford, Bogdan Malaescu

  SciPost Phys. Core 7, 007 (2024) · published 21 February 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The unfolding of detector effects is crucial for the comparison of data to theory predictions. While traditional methods are limited to representing the data in a low number of dimensions, machine learning has enabled new unfolding techniques while retaining the full dimensionality. Generative networks like invertible neural networks~(INN) enable a probabilistic unfolding, which map individual data events to their corresponding unfolded probability distribution. The accuracy of such methods is however limited by how well simulated training samples model the actual data that is unfolded. We introduce the iterative conditional INN (IcINN) for unfolding that adjusts for deviations between simulated training samples and data. The IcINN unfolding is first validated on toy data and then applied to pseudo-data for the $pp \to Z \gamma \gamma$ process.

  3 citations

• The QCD Equation of State in Small Systems

  W. A. Horowitz, Alexander Rothkopf

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 10, 025 (2022) · published 11 August 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present first results on finite system size corrections to the equation of state, trace anomaly, and speed of sound for two model systems: 1) free, massless scalar theory and 2) quenched QCD with periodic boundary conditions (PBC). We further present work-in-progress results for quenched QCD with Dirichlet boundary conditions.

  3 citations