3D printing of optical materials: an investigation of the microscopic properties

3D printing technologies are currently enabling the fabrication of objects with complex architectures and tailored properties. In such framework, the production of 3D optical structures, which are typically based on optical transparent matrices, optionally doped with active molecular compounds and nanoparticles, is still limited by the poor uniformity of the printed structures. Both bulk inhomogeneities and surface roughness of the printed structures can negatively affect the propagation of light in 3D printed optical components. Here we investigate photopolymerization-based printing processes by laser confocal microscopy. The experimental method we developed allows the printing process to be investigated in-situ, with microscale spatial resolution, and in real-time. The modelling of the photo-polymerization kinetics allows the different polymerization regimes to be investigated and the influence of process variables to be rationalized. In addition, the origin of the factors limiting light propagation in printed materials are rationalized, with the aim of envisaging effective experimental strategies to improve optical properties of printed materials.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Evidence for CP Violation in B0 -> D+D- Decays

We report measurements of the branching fraction and CP violation parameters in B0 -> D+D- decays. The results are based on a data sample that contains 535 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance, with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We obtain [1.97 +- 0.20 (stat) +- 0.20 (syst)] x 10^(-4) for the branching fraction of B0 -> D+D-. The measured values of the CP violation parameters are: S = -1.13 +- 0.37 +- 0.09, A = 0.91 +- 0.23 +- 0.06, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. We find evidence of CP violation in B0 -> D+D- at the 4.1 sigma confidence level. While the value of S is consistent with expectations from other measurements, the value of the parameter A favors large direct CP violation at the 3.2 sigma confidence level, in contradiction to Standard Model expectations.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR

Measurement of CP asymmetry in Cabibbo suppressed D0 decays

We measure the CP-violating asymmetries in decays to the D0 -> K+K- and D0 -> pi+pi- CP eigenstates using 540 fb^{-1} of data collected with the Belle detector at or near the Upsilon(4S) resonance. Cabibbo-favored D0 -> K-pi+ decays are used to correct for systematic detector effects. The results, A_{CP}^{KK} = (-0.43 +- 0.30 +- 0.11)% and A_{CP}^{pipi} = (+0.43 +- 0.52 +- 0.12)%, are consistent with no CP violation.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Evidence of the Purely Leptonic Decay B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar

We present the first evidence of the decay B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar using 414 fb^-1 of data collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. Events are tagged by fully reconstructing one of the B mesons in hadronic modes. We detect the signal with a significance of 3.5 standard deviations including systematics, and measure the branching fraction to be Br(B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar) = (1.79 +0.56-0.49(stat) +0.46-0.51(syst))*10^-4. This implies that f_B = 0.229 +0.036-0.031(stat) +0.034-0.037(syst) GeV and is the first direct measurement of this quantity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter

Measurement of the near-threshold e+e−→DDˉe^+e^- \to D \bar D cross section using initial-state radiation

We report measurements of the exclusive cross section for $e^+e^- \to D \bar D$, where $D=D^0$ or $D^+$, in the center-of-mass energy range from the $D \bar D$ threshold to $5\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ with initial-state radiation. The analysis is based on a data sample collected with the Belle detector with an integrated luminosity of 673 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$.Comment: Presented at EPS07 and LP07 conferences, published in PRD(RC

Time-dependent CP Asymmetries in B0→KS0ρ0γB^0\to K^0_S\rho^0\gamma Decays

We report the first measurement of CP-violation parameters in B^0 -> K_S^0\rho^0\gamma decays based on 657 million B\bar B pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy collider. We measure the time-dependent CP violating parameter S_{K_S^0\rho^0\gamma}= 0.11 +/- 0.33(stat.)^{+0.05}_{-0.09}(syst.). We also obtain the effective direct CP violating parameter A_eff=0.05 +/- 0.18(stat.) +/- 0.06(syst.) for m_{K_S\pi^+\pi^-}<1.8 GeV/c^2 and 0.6 GeV/c^2<m_{\pi^+\pi^-}<0.9 GeV/c^2.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be submitted to PR

Measurements of time-dependent CP asymmetries in B→D∗∓π±B \to D^{*\mp} \pi^{\pm} decays using a partial reconstruction technique

We report results on time-dependent CP asymmetries in $B \to D^{*\mp}\pi^{\pm}$ decays based on a data sample containing 657 {\times} $10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+ e^-$ collider at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance. We use a partial reconstruction technique, wherein signal $B \to D^{*\mp}\pi^{\pm}$ events are identified using information only from the fast pion from the B decay and the slow pion from the subsequent decay of the $D^{*\mp}$, where the former (latter) corresponds to $D^{*+} (D^{*-})$ final states. We obtain CP violation parameters $S^+ = +0.061 \pm 0.018(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.012(\mathrm{syst})$ and $S^- = +0.031 \pm 0.019(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.015(\mathrm{syst})$.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physical Review D (RC