Search for the lepton-flavor-violating decay $B^{0}to K^{ast 0} mu^{pm} e^{mp}$

We have searched for the lepton-flavor-violating decay $B^{0}to K^{ast 0} mu^{pm} e^{mp}$ using a data sample of 711 $fb^{-1}$ that contains $772 times 10^{6}$ $Bbar{B}$ pairs. The data were collected near the $Upsilon (4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider. No signals were observed, and we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions of ${cal B}(B^{0}to K^{ast 0} mu^{+} e^{-})< 1.2times 10^{-7}$, ${cal B}(B^{0}to K^{ast 0} mu^{-} e^{+})< 1.6times 10^{-7}$, and, for both decays combined, ${cal B}(B^{0}to K^{ast 0} mu^{pm} e^{mp}) < 1.8times 10^{-7}$. These are the most stringent limits on these decays to date.