N=1 superfield description of vector-tensor couplings in six dimensions

We express supersymmetric couplings among the vector and the tensor multiplets in six dimensions (6D) in terms of N=1 superfields. The superfield description is derived from the invariant action in the projective superspace. The obtained expression is consistent with the known superfield actions of 6D supersymmetric gauge theory and 5D Chern-Simons theory after the dimensional reduction. Our result provides a crutial clue to the N=1 superfield description of 6D supergravity.Comment: 28 pages, v2:a reference adde

Heavy neutrino mixing in the T2HK, the T2HKK and an extension of the T2HK with a detector at Oki Islands

We study the discovery potential for the mixing of heavy isospin-singlet neutrinos in extensions of the Tokai-to-Kamioka (T2K) experiment: The Tokai-to-Hyper-Kamiokande (T2HK), the Tokai-to-Hyper-Kamiokande-to-Korea (T2HKK), and a plan of adding a new detector at Oki Islands to the T2HK. We parametrize the mixing of heavy neutrinos in terms of a non-unitary mixing matrix acting on active flavors. It is shown that in the T2HK and T2HKK, the sensitivity to heavy neutrino mixing deteriorates for some values of $CP$-violating phases in the standard and the non-unitary mixing matrices, but the deterioration is drastically mitigated if a detector at Oki Islands is added to the T2HK. We also consider the feasibility of measuring the mass hierarchy and the standard $CP$-violating phase $\delta_{CP}$ in the presence of heavy neutrino mixing, by fitting experimental data with the standard oscillation parameters only, i.e., under the assumption of unitary mixing. It is revealed that such measurement can be performed to some accuracy in the T2HKK and the extension of the T2HK with a detector at Oki Islands, owing to the fact that data with largely varying $L/E$ are collected in these experiments, while it cannot be in the T2HK.Comment: 41 pages, 16 figures. Version accepted for publication in EPJ

Illustrating SUSY breaking effects on various inflation mechanisms

We consider the supersymmetry breaking effects on typical inflation models with different types of K\"ahler potential. The critical size of supersymmetry-breaking scale, above which the flatness of the inflaton potential is spoiled, drastically changes model by model. We present the universal description of such effects in terms of a field-dependent scaling factor by which gravity-mediated supersymmetry breaking terms are suppressed or enhanced, based on the conformal supergravity framework. Such a description would be useful when we estimate them in constructing supersymmetric models of particle cosmology.Comment: 20pages, 3 figures, v2: a reference added, v3: Appendix B adde

Conductive contact area estimation for carbon nanotube via interconnects using secondary-electron imaging

A major challenge for carbon nanotube (CNT) to become a viable replacement of copper and tungsten in the next-generation on-chip via interconnects is the high contact resistance between CNT and metal electrodes. A first step in meeting this challenge is an accurate characterization of via contact resistance. In this paper, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image contrast at low landing energy is employed to estimate the conductive CNT area inside vias. The total conductive CNT area inside each via is deduced using SEM image with 0.1 keV landing energy and a specified threshold brightness, yielding via resistance versus CNT area behavior, which correlates well with electrical nanoprobing measurements of via resistance. Monte Carlo simulation of secondary electron generation lends further support for our analysis and suggests that the residue covering the CNT does not affect the conduction across the contact for residue thickness below 1 nm. This imaging and analysis technique can add much value to CNT via interconnect contact characterization