arXiv subjects

C. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to C. Zhang.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Sustained state-independent quantum contextual correlations from a single ion

We use a single trapped-ion qutrit to demonstrate the violation of an input-state-independent non-contextuality inequality using a sequence of randomly chosen quantum non-demolition projective measurements. We concatenate 54 million sequential measurements of 13 observables, and violate an optimal non-contextual bound by 214 standard deviations. We use the same dataset to characterize imperfections including signaling and repeatability of the measurements. The experimental sequence was generated in real time with a quantum random number generator integrated into our control system to select the subsequent observable with a latency below 50 μs, which can be used to constrain hidden-variable models that might describe our results. The state-recycling experimental procedure is resilient to noise, self-correcting and independent of the qutrit state, substantiating the fact that quantumness is connected to measurements as opposed to designated states.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Cosmogenic Activation of Germanium Used for Tonne-Scale Rare Event Search Experiments

We report a comprehensive study of cosmogenic activation of germanium used for tonne-scale rare event search experiments. The germanium exposure to cosmic rays on the Earth's surface are simulated with and without a shielding container using Geant4 for a given cosmic muon, neutron, and proton energy spectrum. The production rates of various radioactive isotopes are obtained for different sources separately. We find that fast neutron induced interactions dominate the production rate of cosmogenic activation. Geant4-based simulation results are compared with the calculation of ACTIVIA and the available experimental data. A reasonable agreement between Geant4 simulations and several experimental data sets is presented. We predict that cosmogenic activation of germanium can set limits to the sensitivity of the next generation of tonne-scale experiments.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Illuminating Gravitational Waves: A Concordant Picture of Photons from a Neutron Star Merger

Merging neutron stars offer an exquisite laboratory for simultaneously studying strong-field gravity and matter in extreme environments. We establish the physical association of an electromagnetic counterpart EM170817 to gravitational waves (GW170817) detected from merging neutron stars. By synthesizing a panchromatic dataset, we demonstrate that merging neutron stars are a long-sought production site forging heavy elements by r-process nucleosynthesis. The weak gamma-rays seen in EM170817 are dissimilar to classical short gamma-ray bursts with ultra-relativistic jets. Instead, we suggest that breakout of a wide-angle, mildly-relativistic cocoon engulfing the jet elegantly explains the low-luminosity gamma-rays, the high-luminosity ultraviolet-optical-infrared and the delayed radio/X-ray emission. We posit that all merging neutron stars may lead to a wide-angle cocoon breakout; sometimes accompanied by a successful jet and sometimes a choked jet.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Data Unfolding with Wiener-SVD Method

Data unfolding is a common analysis technique used in HEP data analysis. Inspired by the deconvolution technique in the digital signal processing, a new unfolding technique based on the SVD technique and the well-known Wiener filter is introduced. The Wiener-SVD unfolding approach achieves the unfolding by maximizing the signal to noise ratios in the effective frequency domain given expectations of signal and noise and is free from regularization parameter. Through a couple examples, the pros and cons of the Wiener-SVD approach as well as the nature of the unfolded results are discussed.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2017

Ultra-Low Energy Calibration of LUX Detector using $^{127}$Xe Electron Capture

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields($\textit{Q$_y$})$ and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V/cm. The data are obtained using low energy $^{127}$Xe electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). The sequence of gamma-ray and X-ray cascades associated with $^{127}$I de-excitations produces clearly identified 2-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K- (binding energy, 33.2 keV), L- (5.2 keV), M- (1.1 keV), and N- (186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. The N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil $\textit{in situ}$ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

$^{83\textrm{m}}$Kr calibration of the 2013 LUX dark matter search

LUX was the first dark matter experiment to use a $^{83\textrm{m}}$Kr calibration source. In this paper we describe the source preparation and injection. We also present several $^{83\textrm{m}}$Kr calibration applications in the context of the 2013 LUX exposure, including the measurement of temporal and spatial variation in scintillation and charge signal amplitudes, and several methods to understand the electric field within the time projection chamber.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Observation of annual modulation induced by $γ$ rays from ($α$, $γ$) reactions at the Soudan Underground Laboratory

Annual modulation of $γ$ rays from ($α$, $γ$) reactions in the Soudan Underground Lab has been observed using a 12-liter scintillation detector. This significant annual modulation, measured over 4 years, can mimic the signature for dark matter and can also generate potential background events for neutrinoless double-$β$ decay experiments. The measured annual modulation of the event rate from ($α$, $γ$) reactions is strongly correlated with the time-varying radon concentration observed independently in the Lab. The $α$ flux from radon decay is simulated starting from the measured radon concentration, and the $γ$-ray flux is determined using the convolution of the $α$ flux and the cross sections for ($α$, $γ$) reactions. The calculated $γ$-ray flux is sufficient to generate the measured event rate that exhibits an annual modulation.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Limits on spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross section obtained from the complete LUX exposure

We present experimental constraints on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon elastic cross sections from the total 129.5 kg-year exposure acquired by the Large Underground Xenon experiment (LUX), operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota (USA). A profile likelihood ratio analysis allows 90% CL upper limits to be set on the WIMP-neutron (WIMP-proton) cross section of $σ_n$ = 1.6$\times 10^{-41}$ cm$^{2}$ ($σ_p$ = 5$\times 10^{-40}$ cm$^{2}$) at 35 GeV$c^{-2}$, almost a sixfold improvement over the previous LUX spin-dependent results. The spin-dependent WIMP-neutron limit is the most sensitive constraint to date.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

Input Comparison of Radiogenic Neutron Estimates for Ultra-low Background Experiments

Ultra-low-background experiments address some of the most important open questions in particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics: the nature of dark matter, whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle, and does the proton decay. These rare event searches require well-understood and minimized backgrounds. Simulations are used to understand backgrounds caused by naturally occurring radioactivity in the rock and in every piece of shielding and detector material used in these experiments. Most important are processes like spontaneous fission and (α,n) reactions in material close to the detectors that can produce neutrons. A comparison study between two dedicated software packages is detailed. The cross section libraries, neutron yields, and spectra from the Mei-Zhang-Hime and the SOURCES-4A codes are presented. The resultant yields and spectra are used as inputs to direct dark matter detector toy models in GEANT4, to study the impact of their differences on background estimates and fits. Although differences in neutron yield calculations up to 50% were seen, there was no systematic difference between the Mei-Hime-Zhang and SOURCES-4A results. Neutron propagation simulations smooth differences in spectral shape and yield, and both tools were found to meet the broad requirements of the low-background community.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Axially deformed solution of the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov equations using the transformed harmonic oscillator basis (III) hfbtho (v3.00): a new version of the program

We describe the new version 3.00 of the code HFBTHO that solves the nuclear Hartree-Fock (HF) or Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov (HFB) problem by using the cylindrical transformed deformed harmonic oscillator basis. In the new version, we have implemented the following features: (i) the full Gogny force in both particle-hole and particle-particle channels, (ii) the calculation of the nuclear collective inertia at the perturbative cranking approximation, (iii) the calculation of fission fragment charge, mass and deformations based on the determination of the neck (iv) the regularization of zero-range pairing forces (v) the calculation of localization functions (vi)MPI interface for large-scale mass table calculations.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2017

Physics Behind Precision

This document provides a writeup of contributions to the FCC-ee mini-workshop on "Physics behind precision" held at CERN, on 2-3 February 2016.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Spectroscopic evidence for bulk-band inversion and three-dimensional massive Dirac fermions in ZrTe5

Three-dimensional topological insulators (3D TIs) represent novel states of quantum matters in which surface states are protected by time-reversal symmetry and an inversion occurs between bulk conduction- and valence-bands. However, the bulk-band inversion which is intimately tied to the topologically nontrivial nature of 3D TIs has rarely been investigated by experiments. Besides, 3D massive Dirac fermions with nearly near band dispersions were seldom observed in TIs. Recently, a van der Waals crystal, ZrTe5, was theoretically predicted to be a TI. Here, we report an infrared transmission study of a high-mobility (~33,000 cm$^2$/(Vs)) multilayer ZrTe5 flake at magnetic fields ($B$) up to 35 T. Our observation of a linear relationship between the zero-magnetic-field optical absorption and the photon energy, a bandgap of ~10 meV and a $\sqrt{B}$ dependence of the Landau level (LL) transition energies at low magnetic fields demonstrates 3D massive Dirac fermions with nearly linear band dispersions in this system. More importantly, the reemergence of the intra-LL transitions at magnetic fields higher than 17 T reveals the energy cross between the two zeroth LLs, which reflects the inversion between the bulk conduction- and valence-bands. Our results not only provide spectroscopic evidence for the TI state in ZrTe5 but also open up a new avenue for fundamental studies of Dirac fermions in van der Waals materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Real-time dynamics and cross-correlation gating spectroscopy of free-carrier Drude slow-light solitons

Optical solitons-stable waves balancing delicately between nonlinearities and dispersive effects-have advanced the field of ultrafast optics and dynamics, with contributions spanning supercontinuum generation and soliton fission, to optical event horizon, Hawking radiation, and optical rogue waves, amongst others. Here we investigate picojoule soliton dynamics in silicon slow-light photonic-bandgap waveguides under the influence of Drude-modeled free-carrier induced nonlinear effects. Using real-time and single shot amplified dispersive Fourier transform spectroscopy simultaneously with high-fidelity cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating at femtojoule sensitivity and femtosecond resolution, we examine the soliton stability limits, the soliton dynamics including free-carrier quartic slow-light scaling and acceleration, and the Drude electron-hole-plasma induced perturbations on Cherenkov radiation and modulation instability. Our real-time single shot and time-averaged cross-correlation measurements are matched with our detailed theoretical modeling, examining the reduced group velocity free-carrier kinetics on solitons at picojoule.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Origin of the low critical observing temperature of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in V-doped (Bi, Sb)2Te3 film

The experimental realization of the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect in magnetically-doped (Bi, Sb)2Te3 films stands out as a landmark of modern condensed matter physics. However, ultra-low temperatures down to few tens of mK are needed to reach the quantization of Hall resistance, which is two orders of magnitude lower than the ferromagnetic phase transition temperature of the films. Here, we systematically study the band structure of V-doped (Bi, Sb)2Te3 thin films by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and show unambiguously that the bulk valence band (BVB) maximum lies higher in energy than the surface state Dirac point. Our results demonstrate clear evidence that localization of BVB carriers plays an active role and can account for the temperature discrepancy.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Cosmogenic Activation of Materials Used in Rare Event Search Experiments

We evaluate the cosmogenic production rates in some materials that are commonly used as targets and shielding/supporting components for detecting rare events. The results from Geant4 simulations are compared with the calculations of ACTIVIA and the available experimental data. We demonstrate that the production rates from the Geant4-based simulations agree with the available data reasonably well. As a result, we report that the cosmogenic production of several isotopes in various materials can generate potential backgrounds for direct detection of dark matter and neutrinoless double-beta decay.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

The Gaussian CL$_s$ Method for Searches of New Physics

We describe a method based on the CL$_s$ approach to present results in searches of new physics, under the condition that the relevant parameter space is continuous. Our method relies on a class of test statistics developed for non-nested hypotheses testing problems, denoted by $ΔT$, which has a Gaussian approximation to its parent distribution when the sample size is large. This leads to a simple procedure of forming exclusion sets for the parameters of interest, which we call the Gaussian CL$_s$ method. Our work provides a self-contained mathematical proof for the Gaussian CL$_s$ method, that explicitly outlines the required conditions. These conditions are milder than that required by the Wilks' theorem to set confidence intervals (CIs). We illustrate the Gaussian CL$_s$ method in an example of searching for a sterile neutrino, where the CL$_s$ approach was rarely used before. We also compare data analysis results produced by the Gaussian CL$_s$ method and various CI methods to showcase their differences.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Nonlocal transistor based on pure crossed Andreev reflection in a EuO-graphene/superconductor hybrid structure

We study the interband transport in a superconducting device composed of graphene with EuO-induced exchange interaction. We show that pure crossed Andreev reflection can be generated exclusively without the parasitic local Andreev reflection and elastic cotunnelling over a wide range of bias and Fermi levels in an EuO-graphene/superconductor/EuO-graphene device. The pure non-local conductance exhibits rapid on/off switching and oscillatory behavior when the Fermi levels in the normal and the superconducting leads are varied. The oscillation reflects the quasiparticle propagation in the superconducting lead and can be used as a tool to probe the subgap quasiparticle mode in superconducting graphene, which is inaccessible from the current-voltage characteristics. Our results suggest that the device can be used as a highly tunable transistor that operates purely in the non-local and spin-polarized transport regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

The PROSPECT Physics Program

The Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum Experiment, PROSPECT, is designed to make a precise measurement of the antineutrino spectrum from a highly-enriched uranium reactor and probe eV-scale sterile neutrinos by searching for neutrino oscillations over meter-long distances. PROSPECT is conceived as a 2-phase experiment utilizing segmented $^6$Li-doped liquid scintillator detectors for both efficient detection of reactor antineutrinos through the inverse beta decay reaction and excellent background discrimination. PROSPECT Phase I consists of a movable 3-ton antineutrino detector at distances of 7 - 12 m from the reactor core. It will probe the best-fit point of the $ν_e$ disappearance experiments at 4$σ$ in 1 year and the favored region of the sterile neutrino parameter space at $>$3$σ$ in 3 years. With a second antineutrino detector at 15 - 19 m from the reactor, Phase II of PROSPECT can probe the entire allowed parameter space below 10 eV$^{2}$ at 5$σ$ in 3 additional years. The measurement of the reactor antineutrino spectrum and the search for short-baseline oscillations with PROSPECT will test the origin of the spectral deviations observed in recent $θ_{13}$ experiments, search for sterile neutrinos, and conclusively address the hypothesis of sterile neutrinos as an explanation of the reactor anomaly.

physics.ins-det↗