Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Indirect searches for dark matter with the nEDM spectrometer

  S. Roccia, G. Zsigmond on behalf of the nEDM collaboration at PSI

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 5, 028 (2021) · published 6 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The nEDM apparatus at PSI has been used to search for different dark matter signatures utilizing its high sensitivity to shifts in the neutron precession frequency and its well-controlled low magnetic field at the microT level. Such a shift could be interpreted as a consequence of a short-range spin-dependent interaction that could possibly be mediated by axions or axion-like particles, or as an axion-induced oscillating electric dipole moment of the neutron. Another search, based on so-called UCN disappearance measurements, targeted previously reported signals of neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations. These dark matter searches confirmed and improved previous results, as detailed in this review.

• On the scalar $\pi K$ form factor beyond the elastic region

  Frederic Noël, Leon von Detten, Christoph Hanhart, Martin Hoferichter, Bastian Kubis

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 16, 008 (2025) · published 14 July 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Pion-kaon ($\pi K$) final states, often appearing in heavy-particle decays at the precision frontier, are important for Standard-Model tests, to describe crossed channels with exotic states, and for spectroscopy of excited kaon resonances. We construct a representation of the $\pi K$ $S$-wave form factor using the elastic $\pi K$ scattering phase shift via dispersion relations in the elastic region and extend this model into the inelastic region using resonance exchange, while maintaining unitarity and the correct analytic structure. As a first application, we successfully described the $\tau \to K_S \pi \nu_\tau$ spectrum to not only achieve a better distinction between $S$- and $P$-wave contributions, but also to provide an improved estimate of the $CP$ asymmetry produced by a tensor operator as well as the forward-backward asymmetry, both of which can be confronted with future data at Belle II. The work presented here is published in [L. von Detten et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 81, 420 (2021)].

• Digital quantum simulation of bosonic systems and quantum complementarity

  Victor P. Brasil, Diego S. Starke, Jonas Maziero

  SciPost Phys. Core 8, 086 (2025) · published 24 November 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Digital quantum simulation (DQS) has emerged as a powerful approach to investigate complex quantum systems using digital quantum computers. Such systems, like many-particle bosonic systems and intricate optical experimental setups, pose significant challenges for classical simulation methods. In this paper, we utilize a general formalism for the DQS of bosonic systems, which consists of mapping bosonic operators to Pauli operators using the Gray code, in order to simulate interferometric variants of Afshar's experiment—an intricate optical experiment—on IBM's quantum computers. We investigated experiments analogous to Afshar's double-slit experiment performed by Unruh and Pessoa Júnior, exploring discussions on the apparent violation of Bohr's complementarity principle when considering the entire experimental setup. Based on the aforementioned experiments, we construct a variation of a delayed-choice setup. We also explore another experiment starting with a two-photon initial state. Finally, we analyze these experiments within the framework of an updated quantum complementarity principle, which applies to specific quantum state preparations and remains consistent with the foundational principles of Quantum Mechanics.

• Unfrustrating the t-J Model: d-wave BCS Superconductivity in the t'-J_z-V Model

  Kevin Slagle

  SciPost Phys. 7, 046 (2019) · published 9 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The t-J model is believed to be a minimal model that may be capable of describing the low-energy physics of the cuprate superconductors. However, although the t-J model is simple in appearance, obtaining a detailed understanding of its phase diagram has proved to be challenging. We are therefore motivated to study modifications to the t-J model such that its phase diagram and mechanism for d-wave superconductivity can be understood analytically without making uncontrolled approximations. The modified model we consider is a t'-J_z-V model on a square lattice, which has a second-nearest-neighbor hopping t' (instead of a nearest-neighbor hopping t), an Ising (instead of Heisenberg) antiferromagnetic coupling J_z, and a nearest-neighbor repulsion V. In a certain strongly interacting limit, the ground state is an antiferromagnetic superconductor that can be described exactly by a Hamiltonian where the only interaction is a nearest-neighbor attraction. BCS theory can then be applied with arbitrary analytical control, from which nodeless d-wave or s-wave superconductivity can result.

• Complementarity of Lepton-Charge and Forward-Backward Drell-Yan Asymmetries for Precision Electroweak Measurements and Quark Density Determinations

  J. Fiaschi, F. Giuli, F. Hautmann, S. Moretti

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 038 (2022) · published 12 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We address the impact of future measurements of charged and neutral current Drell-Yan (DY) asymmetries and their combination on Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) uncertainties. We quantify the reduction of PDF uncertainties using the QCD tool xFitter. We examine the effects of such reduced PDF errors on both Standard Model (SM) and Beyond SM (BSM) observables.

• The Belle II experiment: Status and prospects

  Kavita Lalwani (on behalf of the Belle II Collaboration)

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 176 (2023) · published 11 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB energy asymmetric $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider is a substantial upgrade of the B factory facility at the Japanese KEK laboratory. The design luminosity of the machine is $6\times10^{35}$ $cm^{-2}s^{-1}$ and the Belle II experiment aims to record 50 $ab^{-1}$ of data, a factor of 50 more than its predecessor. With this data set, Belle II will be able to measure the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, the matrix elements and their phases, with unprecedented precision and explore flavor physics with $B$, charmed mesons, and $\tau$ leptons. Belle II has also a unique capability to search for low-mass dark matter and low-mass mediators. In this paper, we will review the status of the Belle II detector, SuperKEKB accelerator and the prospects for physics at Belle II.

• Application of the JISP16 potential to the nucleon induced deuteron breakup process at E=13 MeV and E=65 MeV

  Volodymyr Soloviov1, Jacek Golak, Roman Skibiński, Kacper Topolnicki, and Henryk Witała

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 3, 032 (2020) · published 26 February 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The JISP16 nucleon-nucleon potential has been applied to investigations of the nucleon induced deuteron breakup reaction at the incoming nucleon laboratory energies E = 13 MeV and E = 65 MeV. We have found that for the studied process the JISP16 force gives a description of the exclusive cross section, which is generally similar to the ones obtained with the standard realistic nucleon-nucleon AV18 interaction. However, there are some regions of the phase space where the differential cross sections predicted by the JISP16 and AV18 models, differ by more than 100 %. These special kinematical configurations may possibly be useful to refit the JISP16 force parameters.

• Valence quark distributions of light mesons in light-cone quark model

  Satvir Kaur, Narinder Kumar, Jiangshan Lan, Chandan Mondal, Harleen Dahiya

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 172 (2022) · published 14 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In order to investigate the tomographical structure of light pseudoscalar mesons, particularly, pion and kaon, we study the valence quark distribution function (PDF) and the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) using light-cone quark model (LCQM).

• Longitudinal Z-boson polarization and the Higgs boson production cross-section

  Simone Amoroso

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 016 (2022) · published 11 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Lepton pairs are produced copiously in high-energy hadron collisions via electroweak gauge boson exchange, and are one of the most precisely measured final states in proton- proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We propose that measurements of lepton angular distributions can be used to improve the accuracy of theoretical predic- tions for Higgs boson production cross sections at the LHC. To this end, we exploit the sensitivity of the lepton angular coefficient associated with the longitudinal Z-boson polarization to the parton density function (PDF) for gluons resolved from the incoming protons, in order to constrain the Higgs boson cross section from gluon fusion processes. By a detailed numerical analysis using the open-source platform xFitter, we find that high-statistics determinations of the longitudinally polarized angular coefficient at the LHC Run III and high-luminosity HL-LHC improve the PDF systematics of the Higgs boson cross section predictions by 50 % over a broad range of Higgs boson rapidities.

• Exclusive hadronic $\tau$ decays, within & beyond the Standard Model

  Pablo Roig

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 16, 005 (2025) · published 14 July 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Semileptonic exclusive tau decays in the Standard Model are reviewed. As it is well-known, they are a privileged arena to learn about low-energy hadronization. They also allow for a number of clean new physics tests, which have attracted much attention recently, probing scales as high as a few TeV. In light of forthcoming Belle-II data, perspectives on this area are bright.