Impact of FCNC top quark interactions on BR(t -> b W)

We study the effect that FCNC interactions of the top quark will have on the branching ratio of charged decays of the top quark. We have performed an integrated analysis using Tevatron and B-factories data and with just the further assumption that the CKM matrix is unitary we can obtain very restrictive bounds on the strong and electroweak FCNC branching ratios Br(t -> q X) < 4.0 10^{-4}, where X is any vector boson and a sum in q = u,c is implied.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Contributions from dimension six strong flavor changing operators to top anti-top, top plus gauge boson, and top plus Higgs boson production at the LHC

We study the effects of a set of dimension six flavor changing effective operators on several processes of production of top quarks at the LHC. Namely, top anti-top production and associated production of a top and a gauge or Higgs boson. Analytical expressions for the cross sections of these processes are derived and presented.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, refs. adde

Complete light absorption in graphene-metamaterial corrugated structures

We show that surface-plasmon polaritons excited in negative permittivity metamaterials having shallow periodic surface corrugation profiles can be explored to push the absorption of single and continuous sheets of graphene up to 100%. In the relaxation regime, the position of the plasmonic resonances of the hybrid system is determined by the plasma frequency of the metamaterial, allowing the frequency range for enhanced absorption to be set without the need of engineering graphene.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; published version: text revised and references adde

Exchange coupling between magnetic layers across non-magnetic superlattices

The oscillation periods of the interlayer exchange coupling are investigated when two magnetic layers are separated by a metallic superlattice of two distinct non-magnetic materials. In spite of the conventional behaviour of the coupling as a function of the spacer thickness, new periods arise when the coupling is looked upon as a function of the number of cells of the superlattice. The new periodicity results from the deformation of the corresponding Fermi surface, which is explicitly related to a few controllable parameters, allowing the oscillation periods to be tuned.Comment: 13 pages; 5 figures; To appear in J. Phys.: Cond. Matte