Matter Coupling Research Articles

Phenomenology in type-I minimally modified gravity

We study cosmology in a class of minimally modified gravity (MMG) with two local gravitational degrees of freedom. We classify modified gravity theories into type-I and type-II: theories of type-I have an Einstein frame and can be recast by change of variables as general relativity (GR) with a non-minimal matter coupling, while theories of type-II have no Einstein frame. Considering a canonical transformation of the lapse, the 3-dimensional induced metric and their conjugate momenta we generate type-I MMG. We then show that phenomenological deviations from GR, such as the speed of gravitational waves cT and the effective gravitational constant for scalar perturbations Geff, are characterized by two functions of an auxiliary variable. We study the phenomenology of several models all having cT=1. We obtain a scenario with cT=1 in which the effective equation-of-state parameter of dark energy is different from −1 even though the cosmic acceleration is caused by a bare cosmological constant, and we find that it is possible to reconstruct the theory on choosing a selected time-evolution for the effective dark energy component.

Diagnostics for generalized power-law torsion–matter coupling f(T) model

The currently accelerated expansion of our universe is unarguably one of the most intriguing problems in today’s physics research. Two realistic nonminimal torsion–matter coupling [Formula: see text] models have been established and studied in our previous papers [C. J. Feng, F. F. Ge, X. Z. Li, R. H. Lin and X. H. Zhai, Phys. Rev. D 92 (2015) 104038; R. H. Lin, X. H. Zhai and X. Z. Li, Eur. Phys. J. C 77 (2017) 504] aiming to explain this “dark energy” problem. In this paper, we study the generalized power-law torsion–matter coupling [Formula: see text] model. Dynamical system analysis shows that the three expansion phases of the universe, i.e. the radiation-dominated era, the matter-dominated era and the dark energy-dominated era, can all be reproduced in this generalized model. By using the statefinder and [Formula: see text] diagnostics, we find that the different cases of the model can be distinguished from each other and from other dark energy models such as the two models in our previous papers, [Formula: see text]CDM, quintessence and Chaplygin gas. Furthermore, the analyses also show that all kinds of generalized power-law torsion–matter coupling model are able to cross the [Formula: see text] divide from below to above, which is a realization of quintom scenario. The decrease of the energy density resulting from the crossing of [Formula: see text] will make the catastrophic fate of the universe avoided and a de Sitter expansion fate in the future will be approached.

Retracted Article: Physics of excitons and their transport in two dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors.

Two-dimensional (2D) group-VI transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors, such as MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and others manifest strong light matter coupling and exhibit direct band gaps which lie in the visible and infrared spectral regimes. These properties make them potentially interesting candidates for applications in optics and optoelectronics. The excitons found in these materials are tightly bound and dominate the optical response, even at room temperatures. Large binding energies and unique exciton fine structure make these materials an ideal platform to study exciton behaviors in two-dimensional systems. This review article mainly focuses on studies of mechanisms that control dynamics of excitons in 2D systems – an area where there remains a lack of consensus in spite of extensive research. Firstly, we focus on the kinetics of dark and bright excitons based on a rate equation model and discuss on the role of previous ‘unsuspected’ dark excitons in controlling valley polarization. Intrinsically, dark and bright exciton energy splitting plays a key role in modulating the dynamics. In the second part, we review the excitation energy-dependent possible characteristic relaxation pathways of photoexcited carriers in monolayer and bilayer systems. In the third part, we review the extrinsic factors, in particular the defects that are so prevalent in single layer TMDs, affecting exciton dynamics, transport and non-radiative recombination such as exciton–exciton annihilation. Lastly, the optical response due to pump-induced changes in TMD monolayers have been reviewed using femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy which facilitates the analysis of underlying physical process just after the excitation.

Strong light-matter interactions: a new direction within chemistry.

It is possible to modify the chemical and physical properties of molecules, not only through chemical modifications but also by coupling molecules strongly to light. More intriguingly, strong coupling between molecules and light is possible even without the presence of a photon. The phenomenon that makes this possible is called vacuum fluctuations, which is the finite zero point energy of the quantized electromagnetic field inside an optical cavity. The light-matter coupling, which can be as large as 1 eV (100 kJ mol-1), leads to the formation of new hybrid states, called polaritons. The formed hybrid states can be viewed as a linear combination of light (vacuum field) and matter (molecules), thus completely changing the energy landscape of the system. Using vacuum fluctuations, strong light-matter interactions have for instance been used to change chemical reactivity, charge conductivity, excited state relaxation pathways and rates of chemical reactions of organic molecules. In this review a brief history of the field is given, followed by a theoretical framework, methods of analysis, and a review of accomplishments. Finally, a personal reflection on the future perspectives and applications within this field is given.

Indirect detection of sub-GeV dark matter coupling to quarks

We consider photon signals arising from the annihilation or decay of low-mass (sub-GeV) dark matter which couples dominantly to quarks. In this scenario, the branching fractions to the various kinematically accessible hadronic final states can largely be determined from chiral perturbation theory. Several of these final states yield striking spectral features in the sub-GeV photon spectrum. New experiments, such as e-ASTROGAM and AMEGO, are in development to improve sensitivity in this energy range, and we discuss their potential sensitivity to this class of models.

New bounds on dark matter coupling from a global network of optical atomic clocks.

We report on the first Earth-scale quantum sensor network based on optical atomic clocks aimed at dark matter (DM) detection. Exploiting differences in the susceptibilities to the fine-structure constant of essential parts of an optical atomic clock, i.e., the cold atoms and the optical reference cavity, we can perform sensitive searches for DM signatures without the need for real-time comparisons of the clocks. We report a two orders of magnitude improvement in constraints on transient variations of the fine-structure constant, which considerably improves the detection limit for the standard model (SM)-DM coupling. We use Yb and Sr optical atomic clocks at four laboratories on three continents to search for both topological defect and massive scalar field candidates. No signal consistent with a DM coupling is identified, leading to considerably improved constraints on the DM-SM couplings.

Effects of quark-matter symmetry energy on hadron-quark coexistence in neutron-star matter

We examine the effects of the isovector-vector coupling and hypercharge-vector coupling in quark matter on hadron-quark coexistence in neutron-star matter. The relativistic mean field theory with the TM1 parameter set and an extended TM1 parameter set are used to describe hadronic matter, and the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with scalar, isoscalar-vector, isovector-vector and hypercharge-vector couplings is used to describe deconfined quark matter. The hadron-quark phase transition is constructed via the Gibbs conditions for phase equilibrium. The isovector-vector and hypercharge-vector couplings in quark matter enhance the symmetry energy and hypercharge symmetry energy in neutron-star matter, while their effects are found to be suppressed at high densities by the strange quarks. As a result, the hadron-quark mixed phase shrinks with only isovector-vector coupling and moves to higher density with isovector-vector and hypercharge-vector couplings. The maximum mass of neutron-star increases slightly with isovector-vector and hypercharge-vector couplings.

Self-Hybridized Exciton-Polaritons in Multilayers of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Efficient Light Absorption

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted significant attention recently in the context of strong light–matter interaction. To observe strong coupling using these materials, excitons are typically hybridized with resonant photonic modes of stand-alone optical cavities, such as Fabry–Perot microcavities or plasmonic nanoantennas. Here, we show that thick flakes of layered van der Waals TMDCs can themselves serve as low-quality resonators due to their high background permittivity. Optical modes of such “cavities” can in turn hybridize with excitons in the same material. We perform an experimental and theoretical study of such self-hybridization in thick flakes of four common TMDC materials: WS2, WSe2, MoS2, and MoSe2. We observe splitting in reflection and transmission spectra in all four cases and provide angle-resolved dispersion measurements of exciton-polaritons as well as thickness-dependent data. Moreover, we observe significant enhancement and broadening of absorption in thick TMDC multilayers, which can be interpreted in terms of strong light–matter coupling. Remarkably, absorption reaches >50% efficiency across the entire visible spectrum, while simultaneously being weakly dependent on polarization and angle of incidence. Our results thus suggest formation of self-hybridized exciton-polaritons in thick TMDC flakes, which in turn may pave the way toward polaritonic and optoelectronic devices in these simple systems.

Collider Searches for Dark Matter (ATLAS + CMS)

Several searches for dark matter have been performed by the CMS and ATLAS collaborations, using proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV produced by the Large Hadron Collider. Different signatures may highlight the presence of dark matter: the imbalance in the transverse momentum in an event due to the presence of undetectable dark matter particles, produced together with one Standard Model particle, a bump in the di-jet or di-lepton invariant mass distributions, or an excess of events in the di-jet angular distribution, produced by a dark matter mediator. No significant discrepancies with respect to the Standard Model predictions have been found in data, so that limits on the dark matter couplings to ordinary matter, or limits on the dark matter particles and mediators masses have been set. The results are also re-interpreted as limits on the dark matter interaction cross-section with baryonic matter, so that a comparison with direct detection experiments is allowed.

Viable wormhole solutions and Noether symmetry in [formula omitted] gravity

This paper investigates wormhole solutions of spherically symmetric spacetime via Noether symmetry approach in f(R,T) gravity. For this purpose, we choose f(R,T) models appreciating indirect curvature–matter coupling and examine symmetry generators with associated conserved quantities. We determine possible existence of realistic traversable wormhole solutions for both dust as well as non-dust distributions and also study stable behavior of these solutions. For both models, we use constant as well as variable forms of red-shift function. To analyze physical existence of wormhole solutions, we study the behavior of null/weak energy conditions with respect to ordinary as well as effective energy–momentum tensors. It is concluded that there exist physically viable traversable as well as stable wormhole solutions in most of the cases.

Searches for electron interactions induced by new physics in the EDELWEISS-III germanium bolometers

We make use of the EDELWEISS-III array of germanium bolometers to search for electron interactions at the keV scale induced by phenomena beyond the Standard Model. A 90% C.L. lower limit is set on the electron lifetime decaying to invisibles, $\tau > 1.2\times 10^{24}$ years. We investigate the emission of axions or axionlike particles (ALPs) by the Sun, constraining the coupling parameters $g_{ae}<1.1\times 10^{-11}$ and $g_{ae}\times g_{aN}^{\rm eff} < 3.5\times 10^{-17}$ at 90% C.L. in the massless limit. We also directly search for the absorption of bosonic dark matter particles that would constitute our local galactic halo. Limits are placed on the couplings of ALPs or hidden photon dark matter in the mass range $0.8 - 500$ keV/c$^2$. Prospects for searching for dark matter particles with masses down to 150 eV/c$^2$ using improved detectors are presented.

Enhanced photon coupling of ALP dark matter adiabatically converted from the QCD axion

We revisit the adiabatic conversion between the QCD axion and axion-like particle (ALP) at level crossing, which can occur in the early universe as a result of the existence of a hypothetical mass mixing. This is similar to the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect in neutrino oscillations. After refining the conditions for the adiabatic conversion to occur, we focus on a scenario where the ALP produced by the adiabatic conversion of the QCD axion explains the observed dark matter abundance. Interestingly, we find that the ALP decay constant can be much smaller than the ordinary case in which the ALP is produced by the realignment mechanism. As a consequence, the ALP-photon coupling is enhanced by a few orders of magnitude, which is advantageous for the future ALP and axion-search experiments using the ALP-photon coupling.

Clockworking FIMPs

We study freeze-in dark matter production in models that rely on the Clock-work mechanism to suppress the dark matter couplings to the visible sector. We construct viable scalar and fermionic dark matter models within this “Clockwork FIMP” scenario, with several subtleties that need to be taken into account revealed in the model-building process. We also provide analytic, semi-analytic and numerical results for the diagonalization of Clockwork-type mass matrices and briefly discuss the LHC phenomenology of the corresponding scenarios.

Strong Light–Matter Coupling as a New Tool for Molecular and Material Engineering: Quantum Approach

AbstractWhen atoms come together and bond, these new states are called molecules and their properties determine many aspects of our daily life. Strangely enough, it is conceivable for light and molecules to bond, creating new hybrid light–matter states with far‐reaching consequences for thesestrongly coupledmaterials. Even stranger, there is no “real” light needed to obtain the effects; it simply appears from the vacuum, creating “something from nothing.” Surprisingly, the setup required to create these materials has become moderately straightforward. In its simplest form, one only needs to put a strongly absorbing material at the appropriate place between two mirrors, and quantum magic can appear. Only recently has it been discovered that strong coupling can affect a host of significant effects at a material and molecular level, which were thought to be independent of the “light” environment: phase transitions, conductivity, chemical reactions, etc. This review addresses the fundamentals of this opportunity: the quantum mechanical foundations, the relevant plasmonic and photonic structures, and a description of the various applications, connecting material chemistry with quantum information, entanglement, nonlinear optics, and chemical reactivity. Ultimately, revealing the interplay between light and matter in this new regime opens attractive avenues for various new technologies.

Polarization-resolved strong light–matter coupling in planar GaAs/AlGaAs waveguides

We study the influence of optical selection rules and polarization splittings on properties of exciton polaritons in a planar AlGaAs waveguide containing embedded GaAs quantum wells. We demonstrate that transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes couple differently with light- and heavy-hole quantum well excitons, which leads to distinct polarization splittings of the resulting polariton modes. The experimental data are in good agreement with modeling based on theoretical data for the optical selection rules for quantum well excitons.

Cavity-enhanced spectroscopy of a few-ion ensemble in Eu3+:Y2O3

We report on the coupling of the emission from a single europium-doped nanocrystal to a fiber-based microcavity under cryogenic conditions. As a first step, we study the properties of nanocrystals that are relevant for cavity experiments and show that embedding them in a dielectric thin film can significantly reduce scattering loss and increase the light–matter coupling strength for dopant ions. The latter is supported by the observation of a fluorescence lifetime reduction, which is explained by an increased local field strength. We then couple an isolated nanocrystal to an optical microcavity, determine its size and ion number, and perform cavity-enhanced spectroscopy by resonantly coupling a cavity mode to a selected transition. We measure the inhomogeneous linewidth of the coherent transition and find a value that agrees with the linewidth in bulk crystals, evidencing a high crystal quality. We detect the fluorescence from an ensemble of few ions in the regime of power broadening and observe an increased fluorescence rate consistent with Purcell enhancement. The results represent an important step towards the efficient readout of single rare earth ions with excellent optical and spin coherence properties, which is promising for applications in quantum communication and distributed quantum computation.

Plasmonic Enhancement and Manipulation of Optical Nonlinearity in Monolayer Tungsten Disulfide

AbstractMonolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have large second‐order optical nonlinearity owing to broken inversion symmetry in two‐dimensional (2D) crystals. However, despite the strong light–matter coupling in monolayer TMDCs, their nonlinear responses are ultimately limited by subnanometer thickness. Here, a dramatic enhancement of the second‐harmonic generation (SHG) is achieved from monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS2) incorporated onto a 2D silver (Ag) nanogroove grating with subwavelength pitch. By tuning surface plasmon mode and second‐harmonic frequency in resonance with the C exciton in WS2, a large SHG enhancement factor (≈400) and a large conversion efficiency (≈2.0 × 10–5) can be obtained. Furthermore, the azimuthal angle dependence of polarized SHG from monolayer WS2 can be manipulated by the nanogroove plasmonic mode. Based on this property, a polarization‐modulated optical encoding technique is demonstrated. The results suggest that 2D TMDC–plasmonic hybrid metasurface structures can provide an ideal integration platform for on‐chip nonlinear photonics and plasmonics.

Quadratic Gravity

Adding terms quadratic in the curvature to the Einstein-Hilbert action renders gravity renormalizable. This property is preserved in the presence of the most general renormalizable couplings with (and of) a generic quantum field theory (QFT). The price to pay is a massive ghost, which is due to the higher derivatives that the terms quadratic in the curvature imply. In this paper the quadratic gravity scenario is reviewed including recent progress on the related stability problem of higher derivative theories. The renormalization of the theory is also reviewed and the final form of the full renormalization group equations in the presence of a generic renormalizable QFT is presented. The theory can be extrapolated up to infinite energy through the renormalization group if all matter couplings flow to a fixed point (either trivial or interacting). Moreover, besides reviewing the above-mentioned topics some further insight on the ghost issue and the infinite energy extrapolation is provided. There is the hope that in the future this scenario might provide a phenomenologically viable and UV complete relativistic field theory of all interactions.

Novel matter coupling in general relativity via canonical transformation

We study canonical transformations of general relativity (GR) to provide a novel matter coupling to gravity. Although the transformed theory is equivalent to GR in vacuum, the equivalence no longer holds if a matter field minimally couples to the canonically transformed gravitational field. We find that a naive matter coupling to the transformed field leads to the appearance of an extra mode in the phase space, rendering the theory inconsistent. We then find a consistent and novel way of matter coupling: after imposing a gauge fixing condition, a matter field can minimally couple to gravity without generating an unwanted extra mode. As a result, the way matter field couples to the gravitational field determines the preferred time direction and the resultant theory has only two gravitational degrees of freedom. We also discuss the cosmological solution and linear perturbations around it, and confirm that their dynamics indeed differ from those in GR. The novel matter coupling can be used for a new framework of modified gravity theories.

Spontaneous growth of spinor fields in gravity

We show that spinor fields nonminimally coupled to gravity can grow spontaneously in the presence of matter. We name this phenomenon spontaneous spinorization after the spontaneous scalarization scenario in scalar-tensor theories. Underlying reason for the growth of the spinor is an instability similar to the tachyon of spontaneous scalarization. We first present the structure of a tachyonic Dirac equation, and incorporate it into the matter coupling in gravity. This causes the zero-spinor solution to be unstable and leads to spontaneous growth. We investigate the behavior of the resulting theory for a spherically symmetric neutron star that has grown a spinor cloud. Spontaneous spinorization has the potential to lead to order-of-unity deviations from general relativity in strong fields in a similar manner to its close relative spontaneous scalarization. This makes the theory especially relevant to gravitational wave science and neutron star astrophysics.