Tunneling two level systems (TLS), present in dielectrics at low temperatures, have been recently studied for fundamental understanding and superconducting device development. According to a recent theory by Burin textit{et al.}, the TLS bath of any
amorphous dielectric experiences a distribution of Landau-Zener transitions if exposed to simultaneous fields. In this experiment we measure amorphous insulating films at millikelvin temperatures with a microwave field and a swept electric field bias using a superconducting resonator. We find that the maximum dielectric loss per microwave photon with the simultaneous fields is approximately the same as that in the equilibrium state, in agreement with the generic material theory. In addition, we find that the loss depends on the fields in a way which allows for the separate extraction of the TLS bath dipole moment and density of states. This method allows for the study of the TLS dipole moment in a diverse set of disordered films, and provides a technique for continuously inverting their population.
Two-level system (TLS) defects in dielectrics are known to limit the performance of electronic devices. We study TLS using millikelvin microwave loss measurements of three atomic layer deposited (ALD) oxide films--crystalline BeO ($rm{c-BeO}$), amorp
hous $rm{Al_2O_3}$ ($rm{a-Al_2O_3}$), and amorphous $rm{LaAlO_3}$ ($rm{a-LaAlO_3}$)--and interpret them with room temperature characterization measurements. We find that the bulk loss tangent in the crystalline film is 6 times higher than in the amorphous films. In addition, its power saturation agrees with an amorphous distribution of TLS. Through a comparison of loss tangent data to secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) impurity analysis we find that the dominant loss in all film types is consistent with hydrogen-based TLS. In the amorphous films excess hydrogen is found at the ambient-exposed surface, and we extract the associated hydrogen-based surface loss tangent. Data from films with a factor of 40 difference in carbon impurities revealed that carbon is currently a negligible contributor to TLS loss.
In TeV scale B-L extension of the standard model with inverse seesaw, the Yukawa coupling of right-handed neutrinos can be of order one. This implies that the out of equilibrium condition for leptogenesis within standard cosmology is not satisfied. W
e provide two scenarios for overcoming this problem and generating the desired value of the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. The first scenario is based on extra-dimensional braneworld effects that modify the Friedman equation. We show that in this case the value of the baryon asymmetry of the Universe constrains the five-dimensional Planck mass to be of order O(100) TeV. In the second scenario a non-thermal right-handed neutrino produced by the decay of inflaton is assumed. We emphasize that in this case, it is possible to generate the required baryon asymmetry of the Universe for TeV scale right-handed neutrinos.
We examine the transmission through nonideal microwave resonant circuits. The general analytical resonance line shape is derived for both inductive and capacitive coupling with mismatched input and output transmission impedances, and it is found that
for certain non-ideal conditions the line shape is asymmetric. We describe an analysis method for extracting an accurate internal quality factor ($Q_i$), the Diameter Correction Method (DCM), and compare it to the conventional method used for millikelvin resonator measurements, the $phi$ Rotation Method ($phi$RM). We analytically find that the $phi$RM deterministically overestimates $Q_i$ when the asymmetry of the resonance line shape is high, and that this error is eliminated with the DCM. A consistent discrepancy between the two methods is observed when they are used to analyze both simulations from a numerical linear solver and data from asymmetric coplanar superconducting thin-film resonators.
We analyze the flavor violation in warped extra dimension due to radion mediation. We show that Delta S=2 and Delta B=2 flavor violating processes impose stringent constraints on radion mass, m_phi and the scale Lambda_phi. In particular, for Lambda_
phi ~ O(1) TeV, B_d^0-bar{B}^0_d implies that m_phi ~ 65 GeV. We also study radion contributions to lepton flavor violating processes: tau -> (e,mu) phi, tau -> emu^+mu^- and B -> l_i l_j. We show that BR(B_s -> mu^+ mu^-) can be of order 10^{-8}, which is reachable at the LHCb. The radion search at LHC, through the flavor violation decays into tau mu or top-charm quarks, is also considered.
We study the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, a_mu, and lepton flavor violating decay mu -> e gamma in TeV scale B-L extension of the Standard Model (SM) with inverse seesaw mechanism. We show that the B-L contributions to a_mu are severely con
strained, therefore the SM contribution remains intact. We also emphasize that the current experimental limit of BR(mu -> e gamma) can be satisfied for a wide range of parameter space and it can be within the reach of MEG experiment.
The loss in superconducting microwave resonators at low-photon number and low temperatures is not well understood but has implications for achievable coherence times in superconducting qubits. We have fabricated single-layer resonators with a high qu
ality factor by patterning a superconducting aluminum film on a sapphire substrate. Four resonator geometries were studied with resonant frequencies ranging from 5 to 7 GHz: a quasi-lumped element resonator, a coplanar strip waveguide resonator, and two hybrid designs that contain both a coplanar strip and a quasi-lumped element. Transmitted power measurements were taken at 30 mK as a function of frequency and probe power. We find that the resonator loss, expressed as the inverse of the internal quality factor, decreases slowly over four decades of photon number in a manner not merely explained by loss from a conventional uniform spatial distribution of two-level systems in an oxide layer on the superconducting surfaces of the resonator.
We analyze the $5sigma$ difference between the CP asymmetries of the $B^0 to K^+ pi^-$ and $B^+ to K^+ pi^0$ decays within the Soft Collinear Effective Theory. We find that in the Standard Model, such a big difference cannot be achieved. We classify
then the requirements for the possible New Physics models, which can be responsible for the experimental results. As an example of a New Physics model we study minimal supersymmetric models, and find that the measured asymmetry can be obtained with non-minimal flavor violation.
We analyze the dark matter problem in the context of supersymmetric U(1)_{B-L} model. In this model, the lightest neutalino can be the B-L gaugino widetilde {Z}_{B-L} or the extra Higgsinos widetilde{chi}_{1,2} dominated. We compute the thermal relic
abundance of these particles and show that, unlike the LSP in MSSM, they can account for the observed relic abundance with no conflict with other phenomenological constraints. The prospects for their direct detection, if they are part of our galactic halo, are also discussed.
If dark matter (DM) annihilation accounts for the tantalizing excess of cosmic ray electron/positrons, as reported by the PAMELA, ATIC, HESS and FERMI observatories, then the implied annihilation cross section must be relatively large. This results,
in the context of standard cosmological models, in very small relic DM abundances that are incompatible with astrophysical observations. We explore possible resolutions to this apparent conflict in terms of non-standard cosmological scenarios; plausibly allowing for large cross sections, while maintaining relic abundances in accord with current observations.
