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K. Han

Publications and source records attributed to K. Han.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Double-beta decay of ${}^{130}$Te to the first $0^+$ excited state of ${}^{130}$Xe with CUORE-0

We report on a search for double beta decay of $^{130}$Te to the first $0^{+}$ excited state of $^{130}$Xe using a 9.8 kg$\cdot$yr exposure of $^{130}$Te collected with the CUORE-0 experiment. In this work we exploit different topologies of coincident events to search for both the neutrinoless and two-neutrino double-decay modes. We find no evidence for either mode and place lower bounds on the half-lives: $τ^{0ν}_{0^+}>7.9\cdot 10^{23}$ yr and $τ^{2ν}_{0^+}>2.4\cdot 10^{23}$ yr. Combining our results with those obtained by the CUORICINO experiment, we achieve the most stringent constraints available for these processes: $τ^{0ν}_{0^+}>1.4\cdot 10^{24}$ yr and $τ^{2ν}_{0^+}>2.5\cdot 10^{23}$ yr.

nucl-ex

Oxygen Electromigration and Energy Band Reconstruction Induced by Electrolyte Field Effect at Oxide Interfaces

Electrolyte gating is a powerful means for tuning the carrier density and exploring the resultant modulation of novel properties on solid surfaces. However, the mechanism, especially its effect on the oxygen migration and electrostatic charging at the oxide heterostructures, is still unclear. Here we explore the electrolyte gating on oxygen-deficient interfaces between SrTiO3 (STO) crystals and LaAlO3 (LAO) overlayer through the measurements of electrical transport, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. We found that oxygen vacancies (Ovac) were filled selectively and irreversibly after gating due to oxygen electromigration at the amorphous LAO/STO interface, resulting in a reconstruction of its interfacial band structure. Because of the filling of Ovac, the amorphous interface also showed an enhanced electron mobility and quantum oscillation of the conductance. Further, the filling effect could be controlled by the degree of the crystallinity of the LAO overlayer by varying the growth temperatures. Our results reveal the different effects induced by electrolyte gating, providing further clues to understand the mechanism of electrolyte gating on buried interfaces and also opening a new avenue for constructing high-mobility oxide interfaces.

cond-mat.str-el

Essentiality landscape of metabolic networks

Local perturbations of individual metabolic reactions may result in different levels of lethality, depending on their roles in metabolism and the size of subsequent cascades induced by their failure. Moreover, essentiality of individual metabolic reactions may show large variations within and across species. Here we quantify their essentialities in hundreds of species by computing the growth rate after removal of individual and pairs of reactions by flux balance analysis. We find that about 10% of reactions are essential, i.e., growth stops without them, and most of the remaining reactions are redundant in the metabolic network of each species. This large-scale and cross-species study allows us to determine ad hoc ages of each reaction and species. We find that when a reaction is older and contained in younger species, the reaction is more likely to be essential. Such correlations of essentiality with the ages of reactions and species may be attributable to the evolution of cellular metabolism, in which alternative pathways are recruited to ensure the stability of important reactions to various degrees across species.

q-bio.MN

First search for short-baseline neutrino oscillations at HFIR with PROSPECT

This Letter reports the first scientific results from the observation of antineutrinos emitted by fission products of $^{235}$U at the High Flux Isotope Reactor. PROSPECT, the Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum Experiment, consists of a segmented 4 ton $^6$Li-doped liquid scintillator detector covering a baseline range of 7-9 m from the reactor and operating under less than 1 meter water equivalent overburden. Data collected during 33 live-days of reactor operation at a nominal power of 85 MW yields a detection of 25461 $\pm$ 283 (stat.) inverse beta decays. Observation of reactor antineutrinos can be achieved in PROSPECT at 5$σ$ statistical significance within two hours of on-surface reactor-on data-taking. A reactor-model independent analysis of the inverse beta decay prompt energy spectrum as a function of baseline constrains significant portions of the previously allowed sterile neutrino oscillation parameter space at 95% confidence level and disfavors the best fit of the Reactor Antineutrino Anomaly at 2.2$σ$ confidence level.

hep-ex

Update on the recent progress of the CUORE experiment

CUORE is a 741 kg array of 988 TeO$_2$ bolometeric crystals designed to search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{130}$Te and other rare processes. CUORE has been taking data since summer 2017, and as of summer 2018 collected a total of 86.3 kg$\cdot$yr of TeO$_2$ exposure. Based on this exposure, we were able to set a limit on the $0νββ$ half-life of $^{130}$Te of $T^{0ν}_{1/2}>1.5\times10^{25}$ yr at 90% C.L. At this conference, we showed the decomposition of the CUORE background and were able to extract a $^{130}$Te $2νββ$ half-life of $T_{1/2}^{2ν}=[7.9\pm0.1 \mathrm{(stat.)}\pm0.2 \mathrm{(syst.)}]\times10^{20}$ yr. This is the most precise measurement of this half-life and is consistent with previous measurements.

nucl-ex

Performance of a segmented $^{6}$Li-loaded liquid scintillator detector for the PROSPECT experiment

This paper describes the design and performance of a 50 liter, two-segment $^{6}$Li-loaded liquid scintillator detector that was designed and operated as prototype for the PROSPECT (Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum) Experiment. The two-segment detector was constructed according to the design specifications of the experiment. It features low-mass optical separators, an integrated source and optical calibration system, and materials that are compatible with the $^{6}$Li-doped scintillator developed by PROSPECT. We demonstrate a high light collection of 850$\pm$20 PE/MeV, an energy resolution of $σ$ = 4.0$\pm$0.2% at 1 MeV, and efficient pulse-shape discrimination of low $dE/dx$ (electronic recoil) and high $dE/dx$ (nuclear recoil) energy depositions. An effective scintillation attenuation length of 85$\pm$3 cm is measured in each segment. The 0.1% by mass concentration of $^{6}$Li in the scintillator results in a measured neutron capture time of $τ$ = 42.8$\pm$0.2 $μs$. The long-term stability of the scintillator is also discussed. The detector response meets the criteria necessary for achieving the PROSPECT physics goals and demonstrates features that may find application in fast neutron detection.

physics.ins-det

First Results from CUORE: A Search for Lepton Number Violation via $0νββ$ Decay of $^{130}$Te

The CUORE experiment, a ton-scale cryogenic bolometer array, recently began operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The array represents a significant advancement in this technology, and in this work we apply it for the first time to a high-sensitivity search for a lepton-number--violating process: $^{130}$Te neutrinoless double-beta decay. Examining a total TeO$_2$ exposure of 86.3 kg$\cdot$yr, characterized by an effective energy resolution of (7.7 $\pm$ 0.5) keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of (0.014 $\pm$ 0.002) counts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr), we find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay. The median statistical sensitivity of this search is $7.0\times10^{24}$ yr. Including systematic uncertainties, we place a lower limit on the decay half-life of $T^{0ν}_{1/2}$($^{130}$Te) > $1.3\times 10^{25}$ yr (90% C.L.). Combining this result with those of two earlier experiments, Cuoricino and CUORE-0, we find $T^{0ν}_{1/2}$($^{130}$Te) > $1.5\times 10^{25}$ yr (90% C.L.), which is the most stringent limit to date on this decay. Interpreting this result as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, we find $m_{ββ}<(110 - 520)$ meV, where the range reflects the nuclear matrix element estimates employed.

nucl-ex

Strong spin-orbit coupling and magnetism in (111) (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35})$/SrTiO$_3$

Strong correlations, multiple lattice degrees of freedom, and the ease of doping make complex oxides a source of great research interest. Complex oxide heterointerfaces break inversion symmetry and can host a two dimensional carrier gas, which can display a variety of coexisting and competing phenomena. In the case of heterointerfaces based on SrTiO$_3$, many of these phenomena can be effectively tuned by using an electric gate, due to the large dielectric constant of SrTiO$_3$. Most studies so far have focused on (001) oriented heterostructures; however, (111) oriented heterostructures have recently gained attention due to the possibility of finding exotic physics in these systems due their hexagonal surface crystal symmetry. In this work, we use magnetoresistance to study the evolution of spin-orbit interaction and magnetism in a new system, (111) oriented (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/SrTiO$_3$. At more positive values of the gate voltage, which correspond to high carrier densities, we find that transport is multiband, and dominated by high mobility carriers with a tendency towards weak localization. At more negative gate voltages, the carrier density is reduced, the high mobility bands are depopulated, and weak antilocalization effects begin to dominate, indicating that spin-orbit interaction becomes stronger. At millikelvin temperatures, and gate voltages corresponding to the strong spin-orbit regime, we observe hysteresis in magnetoresistance, indicative of ferromagnetism in the system. Our results suggest that in the (111) (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/SrTiO$_3$ system, low mobility carriers which experience strong spin-orbit interactions participate in creating magnetic order in the system.

cond-mat.str-el

Low temperature magnetoresistance of (111) (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/SrTiO$_3$

The two dimensional conducting interfaces in SrTiO$_3$-based systems are known to show a variety of coexisting and competing phenomena in a complex phase space. Magnetoresistance measurements, which are typically used to extract information about the various interactions in these systems, must be interpreted with care, since multiple interactions can contribute to the resistivity in a given range of magnetic field and temperature. Here we review all the phenomena that can contribute to transport in SrTiO$_3$-based conducting interfaces at low temperatures, and discuss possible ways to distinguish between various phenomena. We apply this analysis to the magnetoresistance data of (111) oriented (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/STO (LSAT/STO) heterostructures in perpendicular field, and find an excess negative magnetoresistance contribution which cannot be explained by weak localization alone. We argue that contributions from magnetic scattering as well as electron-electron interactions can provide a possible explanation for the observed magnetoresistance.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Study of Rare Nuclear Processes with CUORE

TeO2 bolometers have been used for many years to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 130-Te. CUORE, a tonne-scale TeO2 detector array, recently published the most sensitive limit on the half-life, $T_{1/2}^{0ν} > 1.5 \times 10^{25}\,$yr, which corresponds to an upper bound of $140-400$~meV on the effective Majorana mass of the neutrino. While it makes CUORE a world-leading experiment looking for neutrinoless double beta decay, it is not the only study that CUORE will contribute to in the field of nuclear and particle physics. As already done over the years with many small-scale experiments, CUORE will investigate both rare decays (such as the two-neutrino double beta decay of 130-Te and the hypothesized electron capture in 123-Te), and rare processes (e.g., dark matter and axion interactions). This paper describes some of the achievements of past experiments that used TeO2 bolometers, and perspectives for CUORE.

nucl-ex

Low Energy Analysis Techniques for CUORE

CUORE is a tonne-scale cryogenic detector operating at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) that uses tellurium dioxide bolometers to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{130}$Te. CUORE is also suitable to search for low energy rare events such as solar axions or WIMP scattering, thanks to its ultra-low background and large target mass. However, to conduct such sensitive searches requires improving the energy threshold to 10 keV. In this paper, we describe the analysis techniques developed for the low energy analysis of CUORE-like detectors, using the data acquired from November 2013 to March 2015 by CUORE-0, a single-tower prototype designed to validate the assembly procedure and new cleaning techniques of CUORE. We explain the energy threshold optimization, continuous monitoring of the trigger efficiency, data and event selection, and energy calibration at low energies in detail. We also present the low energy background spectrum of CUORE-0 below 60keV. Finally, we report the sensitivity of CUORE to WIMP annual modulation using the CUORE-0 energy threshold and background, as well as an estimate of the uncertainty on the nuclear quenching factor from nuclear recoils in CUORE-0.

physics.ins-det

Search for Neutrinoless $β^{+}\hspace{-0.2em}EC$ Decay of $^{120}$Te with CUORE-0

We have performed a search for neutrinoless $β^{+}\hspace{-0.2em}EC$ decay of $^{120}$Te using the final CUORE-0 data release. We describe a new analysis method for the simultaneous fit of signatures with different event topology, and of data subsets with different signal efficiency, obtaining a limit on the half-life of the decay of $T_{1/2}>1.6\cdot10^{21}$ yr at $90\%$ CI. Combining this with results from Cuoricino, a predecessor experiment, we obtain the strongest limit to date, corresponding to $T_{1/2}>2.7\cdot10^{21}$ yr at $90\%$ CI.

nucl-ex

The projected background for the CUORE experiment

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with an array of 988 TeO2 bolometers operating at temperatures around 10 mK. The experiment is currently being commissioned in Hall A of Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. The goal of CUORE is to reach a 90\% C.L. exclusion sensitivity on the \tect decay half-life of 9$\times$10$^{25}$ years after 5\,years of data taking. The main issue to be addressed to accomplish this aim is the rate of background events in the region of interest, which must not be higher than 10$^{-2}$\,counts/keV/kg/y. We developed a detailed Monte Carlo simulation, based on results from a campaign of material screening, radioassays, and bolometric measurements, to evaluate the expected background. This was used over the years to guide the construction strategies of the experiment and we use it here to project a background model for CUORE. In this paper we report the results of our study and our expectations for the background rate in the energy region where the peak signature of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te is expected.

physics.ins-det

Signatures of Electronic Nematicity in (111) LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ Interfaces

Symmetry breaking is a fundamental concept in condensed matter physics whose presence often heralds new phases of matter. For instance, the breaking of time reversal symmetry is traditionally linked to magnetic phases in a material, while the breaking of gauge symmetry can lead to superfluidity/superconductivity. Nematic phases are phases in which rotational symmetry is broken while maintaining translational symme- try, and are traditionally associated with liquid crystals. Electronic nematic states where the or- thogonal in-plane crystal directions have different electronic properties have garnered a great deal of attention after their discovery in Sr$_3$Ru$_2$O$_7$, multiple iron based superconductors, and in the superconducting state of CuBiSe. Here we demonstrate the existence of an electronic ne- matic phase in the two-dimensional carrier gas that forms at the (111) LaAlO$_3$ (LAO)/SrTiO$_3$ (STO) interface that onsets at low temperatures, and is tunable by an electric field.

cond-mat.str-el

CUORE Sensitivity to $0νββ$ Decay

We report a study of the CUORE sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta ($0νββ$) decay. We used a Bayesian analysis based on a toy Monte Carlo (MC) approach to extract the exclusion sensitivity to the $0νββ$ decay half-life ($T_{1/2}^{0ν}$) at $90\%$ credibility interval (CI) -- i.e. the interval containing the true value of $T_{1/2}^{0ν}$ with $90\%$ probability -- and the $3 σ$ discovery sensitivity. We consider various background levels and energy resolutions, and describe the influence of the data division in subsets with different background levels. If the background level and the energy resolution meet the expectation, CUORE will reach a $90\%$ CI exclusion sensitivity of $2\cdot10^{25}$ yr with $3$ months, and $9\cdot10^{25}$ yr with $5$ years of live time. Under the same conditions, the discovery sensitivity after $3$ months and $5$ years will be $7\cdot10^{24}$ yr and $4\cdot10^{25}$ yr, respectively.

physics.ins-det

Magnetoresistance in the superconducting state at the (111) LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface

Condensed matter systems that simultaneously exhibit superconductivity and ferromagnetism are rare due the antagonistic relationship between conventional spin-singlet superconductivity and ferromagnetic order. In materials in which superconductivity and magnetic order is known to coexist (such as some heavy-fermion materials), the superconductivity is thought to be of an unconventional nature. Recently, the conducting gas that lives at the interface between the perovskite band insulators LaAlO$_3$ (LAO) and SrTiO$_3$ (STO) has also been shown to host both superconductivity and magnetism. Most previous research has focused on LAO/STO samples in which the interface is in the (001) crystal plane. Relatively little work has focused on the (111) crystal orientation, which has hexagonal symmetry at the interface, and has been predicted to have potentially interesting topological properties, including unconventional superconducting pairing states. Here we report measurements of the magnetoresistance of (111) LAO/STO heterostructures at temperatures at which they are also superconducting. As with the (001) structures, the magnetoresistance is hysteretic, indicating the coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity, but in addition, we find that this magnetoresistance is anisotropic. Such an anisotropic response is completely unexpected in the superconducting state, and suggests that (111) LAO/STO heterostructures may support unconventional superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el

Electrical Properties and Subband Occupancy at the (La,Sr)(Al,Ta)O$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ Interface

The quasi two-dimensional electron gas (q-2DEG) at oxide interfaces provides a platform for investigating quantum phenomena in strongly correlated electronic systems. Here, we study the transport properties at the high-mobility (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)O$_{0.3}$/SrTiO$_{0.3}$ (LSAT/STO) interface. Before oxygen annealing, the as-grown interface exhibits a high electron density and electron occupancy of two subbands: higher-mobility electrons ($μ_1\approx{10^4}$ cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ at 2 K) occupy the lower-energy $3d_{xy}$ subband, while lower-mobility electrons ($μ_1\approx{10^3}$ cm$^{2}$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ at 2 K) propagate in the higher-energy $3d_{xz/yz}$-dominated subband. After removing oxygen vacancies by annealing in oxygen, only a single type of 3dxy electrons remain at the annealed interface, showing tunable Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations below 9 T at 2 K and an effective mass of $0.7m_e$. By contrast, no oscillation is observed at the as-grown interface even when electron mobility is increased to $50,000$ cm$^{2}$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ by gating voltage. Our results reveal the important roles of both carrier mobility and subband occupancy in tuning the quantum transport at oxide interfaces.

cond-mat.str-el

Electrostatic tuning of magnetism at the conducting (111) (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/SrTiO$_3$ interface

We present measurements of the low temperature electrical transport properties of the two dimensional carrier gas that forms at the interface of $(111)$ (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/SrTiO$_3$ (LSAT/STO) as a function of applied back gate voltage, $V_g$. As is found in (111) LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interfaces, the low-field Hall coefficient is electron-like, but shows a sharp reduction in magnitude below $V_g \sim$ 20 V, indicating the presence of hole-like carriers in the system. This same value of $V_g$ correlates approximately with the gate voltage below which the magnetoresistance evolves from nonhysteretic to hysteretic behavior at millikelvin temperatures, signaling the onset of magnetic order in the system. We believe our results can provide insight into the mechanism of magnetism in SrTiO$_3$ based systems.

cond-mat.str-el