Flavor SU(3) analysis of charmless B->PP decays

We perform a global fits to charmless $B \to PP$ decays which independently constrain the $(\bar\rho,\bar\eta)$ vertex of the unitarity triangle. The fitted amplitudes and phase are used to predict the branching ratios and CP asymmetries of all decay modes, including those of the $B_s$ system. Different schemes of SU(3) breaking in decay amplitude sizes are analyzed. The possibility of having a new physics contribution to $K \pi$ decays is also discussed.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figs. Talk given at EPS-HEP07 To appear in the proceedings, Reference adde

U-Spin Tests of the Standard Model and New Physics

Within the standard model, a relation involving branching ratios and direct CP asymmetries holds for the B-decay pairs that are related by U-spin. The violation of this relation indicates new physics (NP). In this paper, we assume that the NP affects only the Delta S = 1 decays, and show that the NP operators are generally the same as those appearing in B -> pi K decays. The fit to the latest B -> pi K data shows that only one NP operator is sizeable. As a consequence, the relation is expected to be violated for only one decay pair: Bd -> K0 pi0 and Bs -> Kbar0 pi0.Comment: 12 pages, latex, no figures. References changed to follow MPL guidelines; info added about U-spin breaking and small NP strong phases; discussion added about final-state pi-K rescattering; analysis and conclusions unaltere

B_{s,d} -> l^+ l^- and K_L -> l^+ l^- in SUSY models with non-minimal sources of flavour mixing

We present a general analysis of B_{s,d}-> l^+ l^- and K_L -> l^+ l^- decays in supersymmetric models with non-minimal sources of flavour mixing. In spite of the existing constraints on off-diagonal squark mass terms, these modes could still receive sizeable corrections, mainly because of Higgs-mediated FCNCs arising at large tan(beta). The severe limits on scenarios with large tan(beta) and non-negligible {tilde d}^i_{R(L)}-{d-tilde}^j_{R(L)} mixing imposed by the present experimental bounds on these modes and Delta B=2 observables are discussed in detail. In particular, we show that scalar-current contributions to K_L -> l^+ l^- and B-{bar B} mixing set non-trivial constraints on the possibility that B_s -> l^+ l^- and B_d -> l^+ l^- receive large corrections.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures (v2: minor changes, published version

Inclusive Decays of Bottom Hadrons in New Formulation of Heavy Quark Effective Field Theory

We apply the new formulation of heavy quark effective field theory (HQEFT) to the inclusive decays of bottom hadrons. The long-term ambiguity of using heavy quark mass or heavy hadron mass for inclusive decays is clarified within the framework of the new formulation of HQEFT. The $1/m_b$ order corrections are absent and contributions from $1/m_b^2$ terms are calculated in detail. This enables us to reliably extract the important CKM matrix element $|V_{cb}|$ from the inclusive semileptonic decay rates. The resulting lifetime ratios $\tau(B^0_s)/\tau(B^0)$ and $\tau(\Lambda_b)/\tau(B^0)$ are found to well agree with the experimental data. We also calculate in detail the inclusive semileptonic branching ratios and the ratios of the $\tau$ and $\beta$ decay rates as well as the charm countings in the $B^0$, $B^0_s$ and $\Lambda_b$ systems. For $B^0$ decays, all the observables are found to be consistent with the experimental data. More precise data for the $B^0$ decays and further experimental measurements for the $B^0_s$ and $\Lambda_b$ systems will be very useful for testing the framework of new formulation of HQEFT at the level of higher order corrections.Comment: 20 pages, RevTex, 8 figures, 3 tables, revised version with `dressed heavy quark' being addressed, to be published in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Polarity control of carrier injection at ferroelectric/metal interfaces for electrically switchable diode and photovoltaic effects

We investigated a switchable ferroelectric diode effect and its physical mechanism in Pt/BiFeO3/SrRuO3 thin-film capacitors. Our results of electrical measurements support that, near the Pt/BiFeO3 interface of as-grown samples, a defective layer (possibly, an oxygen-vacancy-rich layer) becomes formed and disturbs carrier injection. We therefore used an electrical training process to obtain ferroelectric control of the diode polarity where, by changing the polarization direction using an external bias, we could switch the transport characteristics between forward and reverse diodes. Our system is characterized with a rectangular polarization hysteresis loop, with which we confirmed that the diode polarity switching occurred at the ferroelectric coercive voltage. Moreover, we observed a simultaneous switching of the diode polarity and the associated photovoltaic response dependent on the ferroelectric domain configurations. Our detailed study suggests that the polarization charge can affect the Schottky barrier at the ferroelectric/metal interfaces, resulting in a modulation of the interfacial carrier injection. The amount of polarization-modulated carrier injection can affect the transition voltage value at which a space-charge-limited bulk current-voltage (J-V) behavior is changed from Ohmic (i.e., J ~ V) to nonlinear (i.e., J ~ V^n with n \geq 2). This combination of bulk conduction and polarization-modulated carrier injection explains the detailed physical mechanism underlying the switchable diode effect in ferroelectric capacitors.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

High-performance Si microwire photovoltaics

Crystalline Si wires, grown by the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) process, have emerged as promising candidate materials for lowcost, thin-film photovoltaics. Here, we demonstrate VLS-grown Si microwires that have suitable electrical properties for high-performance photovoltaic applications, including long minority-carrier diffusion lengths (L_n » 30 µm) and low surface recombination velocities (S « 70 cm·s^(-1)). Single-wire radial p–n junction solar cells were fabricated with amorphous silicon and silicon nitride surface coatings, achieving up to 9.0% apparent photovoltaic efficiency, and exhibiting up to ~600 mV open-circuit voltage with over 80% fill factor. Projective single-wire measurements and optoelectronic simulations suggest that large-area Si wire-array solar cells have the potential to exceed 17% energy-conversion efficiency, offering a promising route toward cost-effective crystalline Si photovoltaics

Tailoring a two-dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (001) interface by epitaxial strain

Recently a metallic state was discovered at the interface between insulating oxides, most notably LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. Properties of this two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) have attracted significant interest due to its potential applications in nanoelectronics. Control over this carrier density and mobility of the 2DEG is essential for applications of these novel systems, and may be achieved by epitaxial strain. However, despite the rich nature of strain effects on oxide materials properties, such as ferroelectricity, magnetism, and superconductivity, the relationship between the strain and electrical properties of the 2DEG at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerface remains largely unexplored. Here, we use different lattice constant single crystal substrates to produce LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces with controlled levels of biaxial epitaxial strain. We have found that tensile strained SrTiO3 destroys the conducting 2DEG, while compressively strained SrTiO3 retains the 2DEG, but with a carrier concentration reduced in comparison to the unstrained LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface. We have also found that the critical LaAlO3 overlayer thickness for 2DEG formation increases with SrTiO3 compressive strain. Our first-principles calculations suggest that a strain-induced electric polarization in the SrTiO3 layer is responsible for this behavior. It is directed away from the interface and hence creates a negative polarization charge opposing that of the polar LaAlO3 layer. This both increases the critical thickness of the LaAlO3 layer, and reduces carrier concentration above the critical thickness, in agreement with our experimental results. Our findings suggest that epitaxial strain can be used to tailor 2DEGs properties of the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerface

Diffusion on a heptagonal lattice

We study the diffusion phenomena on the negatively curved surface made up of congruent heptagons. Unlike the usual two-dimensional plane, this structure makes the boundary increase exponentially with the distance from the center, and hence the displacement of a classical random walker increases linearly in time. The diffusion of a quantum particle put on the heptagonal lattice is also studied in the framework of the tight-binding model Hamiltonian, and we again find the linear diffusion like the classical random walk. A comparison with diffusion on complex networks is also made.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure