Laser ablated high T(sub c) superconducting thin YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films on substrates suitable for microwave applications

The development of high temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O(7-x) thin films on substrates suitable for microwave applications is of great interest for evaluating their applications for space radar, communication, and sensor systems. Thin films of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) were formed on SrTiO3, ZrO2, MgO, and LaAlO3 substrates by laser ablation. The wavelength used was 248 nm from a KrF excimer laser. During deposition the films were heated to 600 C in a flowing oxygen environment, and required no post annealing. The low substrate temperature during deposition with no post annealing gave films which were smooth, which had their c-axis aligned to the substrates, and which had grains ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 microns in size. The films being c-axis aligned gave excellent surface resistance at 35 GHz which was lower than that of copper at 77 K. At present, LaAlO3 substrates with a dielectric constant of 22, appears suitable as a substrate for microwave and electronic applications. The films were characterized by resistance-temperature measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and x ray diffraction. The highest critical transition temperatures (T sub c) are above 89 K for films on SrTiO3 and LaAlO3, above 88 K for ZrO2, and above 86 K for MgO. The critical current density (J sub c) of the films on SrTiO3 is above 2 x 10(exp 6) amperes/sq cm at 77 K. The T(sub c) and J(sub c) are reported as a function of laser power, composition of the substrate, and temperature of the substrate during deposition

Study of the a_0(980) meson via the radiative decay phi->eta pi^0 gamma with the KLOE detector

We have studied the phi->a_0(980) gamma process with the KLOE detector at the Frascati phi-factory DAPhNE by detecting the phi->eta pi^0 gamma decays in the final states with eta->gamma gamma and eta->pi^+ pi^- pi^0. We have measured the branching ratios for both final states: Br(phi->eta pi^0 gamma)=(7.01 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.20)x10^-5 and (7.12 +/- 0.13 +/- 0.22)x10^-5 respectively. We have also extracted the a_0(980) mass and its couplings to eta pi^0, K^+ K^-, and to the phi meson from the fit of the eta pi^0 invariant mass distributions using different phenomenological models.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Physics Letters B. Corrected typos in eq.

Charged kaon lifetime at KLOE

Preliminary result on the charged kaon lifetime, obtained by the KLOE experiment operating at DA$\Phi$NE, the Frascati $\phi$-factory, is presentedComment: 3 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of 42nd Rencontres de Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Aosta Valley, Italy, 10-17 Mar 200

A global fit to determine the pseudoscalar mixing angle and the gluonium content of the eta' meson

We update the values of the eta-eta' mixing angle and of the eta' gluonium content by fitting our measurement R_phi = BR(phi to eta' gamma)/ BR(phi to eta gamma) together with several vector meson radiative decays to pseudoscalars (V to P gamma), pseudoscalar mesons radiative decays to vectors (P to V gamma) and the eta' to gamma gamma, pi^0 to gamma gamma widths. From the fit we extract a gluonium fraction of Z^2_G = 0.12 +- 0.04, the pseudoscalar mixing angle psi_P = (40.4 +- 0.6) degree and the phi-omega mixing angle psi_V = (3.32 +- 0.09) degree. Z^2_G and psi_P are fairly consistent with those previously published. We also evaluate the impact on the eta' gluonium content determination of future experimental improvements of the eta' branching ratios and decay width.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures to submit to JHE

Study of the process e+e- -> omega pi0 in the phi-meson mass region with the KLOE detector

We have studied the e+e- -> omegapi0 cross section in the sqrt(s) interval 1000-1030 MeV using the pi+pi-pi0pi0 and pi0pi0gamma final states with a sample of ~600 pb^-1 collected with the KLOE detector at DAFNE. By fitting the observed interference pattern around M_phi for both final states, we extract the ratio of the decay widths Gamma(omega->pi0gamma)/Gamma(omega->pi+pi-pi0) = 0.0897 +- 0.0016 and derive the branching fractions BR(omega -> pi+pi-pi0)= (90.24 +- 0.19)%, BR(omega -> pi0gamma) = (8.09 +- 0.14)%. The parameters describing the e+e- -> omegapi0 reaction around M_\phi are also used to extract the branching fraction for the OZI and G-parity violating phi -> omegapi0 decay: BR(phi->omegapi0) = (4.4 +- 0.6)x10^-5.Comment: 12 Pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physics Letter

Search for the K_S -> e+e- decay with the KLOE detector

We present the result of a direct search for the decay K_S -> e+e-, obtained with a sample of e+e- -> phi -> K_S K_L events produced at DAFNE, the Frascati phi-factory, for an integrated luminosity of 1.9 fb^-1. The search has been performed using a pure K_S beam tagged by the simultaneous detection of a K_L interaction in the calorimeter. Background rejection has been optimized by using both kinematic and particle identification cuts. We find BR(K_S -> e+e-) < 9x10^-9 at 90% CL, which improves by an order of magnitude on the previous best limit.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Physics Letters

Measurements of the Absolute Branching Ratios for the Dominant KL Decays, the KL Lifetime, and Vus with the KLOE Detector

From a sample of about 10^9 Phi mesons produced at DAFNE, we have selected KL mesons tagged by observing KS->pi+pi- decays. We present results on the major KL branching ratios, including those of the semileptonic decays needed for the determination of Vus. These branching ratio measurements are fully inclusive with respect to final-state radiation. The KL lifetime has also been measured.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.

A direct search for the CP-violating decay Ks->3p^0 with the KLOE detector at DAFNE

We have searched for the decay Ks->3p^0 with the KLOE experiment at DAFNE using data from e^+ e^- collisions at a center of mass energy W= m(phi) for an integrated luminosity L=450 pb^-1. The search has been performed with a pure Ks beam obtained by tagging with Kl interactions in the calorimeter and detecting six photons. We find an upper limit for the branching ratio of 1.2x10^-7 at 90% C.L.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures. To be submitted to Physics Letter

KLOE results in kaon physics and prospects for KLOE-2

The phi-factory DAPHNE offers a possibility to select pure kaon beams, charged and neutral ones. In particular, neutral kaons from phi->KS KL are produced in pairs and the detection of a KS (KL) tags the presence of a KL (KS). This allows to perform precise measurements of kaon properties by means of KLOE detector. Another advantage of a phi-factory consists in fact that the neutral kaon pairs are produced in a pure quantum state (J^(PC) = 1^(--)), which allowsto investigate CP and CPT symmetries via quantum interference effects, as well as the basic principles of quantum mechanics.A review of the most recent results of the KLOE experiment at DAPHNE using pure kaon beams or via quantum interferometry is presented together with prospects for kaon physics at KLOE-2.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, From Phi To Psi 2011 conference, to be published in Nuclear Physics B (Proceedings Supplements