arXiv subjects

Michael Sarrazin

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Sarrazin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Violation of C/CP Symmetry Induced by a Scalar Field Emerging from a Two-Brane Universe: A Gateway to Baryogenesis

A model of baryogenesis is introduced where our usual visible Universe is a 3-brane coevolving with a hidden 3-brane in a multidimensional bulk. The visible matter and antimatter sectors are naturally coupled with the hidden matter and antimatter sectors, breaking the C/CP invariance and leading to baryogenesis occurring after the quark-gluon era. The issue of leptogenesis is also discussed. The symmetry breaking spontaneously occurs due to the presence of an extra scalar field supported by the $U(1)\otimes U(1)$ gauge group, which extends the conventional electromagnetic gauge field in the two-brane universe. Observational consequences are discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Late baryogenesis in a two-brane universe with a latent C/CP violation

We introduce a toy model of baryogenesis where our usual visible Universe is a 3-brane coevolving with a hidden 3-brane in a multidimensional bulk, in an ekpyrotic-like approach. The visible matter and antimatter sectors are coupled with the hidden matter and antimatter sectors, breaking the C/CP invariance and leading to baryogenesis occurring after the quark-gluon era. The issue of leptogenesis is also discussed. This model complements cosmological approaches in which dark matter and dark energy could naturally emerge from many-brane scenarios.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Can neutron disappearance/reappearance experiments definitively rule out the existence of hidden braneworlds endowed with a copy of the Standard Model?

Many works, aiming to explain the origin of dark matter or dark energy, consider the existence of hidden (brane)worlds parallel to our own visible world - our usual universe - in a multidimensional bulk. Hidden braneworlds allow for hidden copies of the Standard Model. For instance, atoms hidden in a hidden brane could exist as dark matter candidates. As a way to constrain such hypotheses, the possibility for neutron-hidden neutron swapping can be tested thanks to disappearance-reappearance experiments also known as passing-through-walls neutron experiments. The neutron-hidden neutron coupling $g$ can be constrained from those experiments. While $g$ could be arbitrarily small, previous works involving a $M_4 \times R_1$ bulk, with DGP branes, show that $g$ then possesses a value which is reachable experimentally. It is of crucial interest to know if a reachable value for $g$ is universal or not and to estimate its magnitude. Indeed, it would allow, in a near future, to reject definitively - or not - the existence of hidden braneworlds from experiments. In the present paper, we explore this issue by calculating $g$ for DGP branes, for $M_4 \times S_1/Z_2$, $M_4 \times R_2$ and $M_4 \times T^2$ bulks. As a major result, no disappearance-reappearance experiment would definitively universally rules out the existence of hidden worlds endowed with their own copy of Standard Model particles, excepted for specific scenarios with conditions reachable in future experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Bounds on ortho-positronium and $J/ψ$-$Υ$ quarkonia invisible decays and constraints on hidden braneworlds in a $SO(3,1)$-broken 5D bulk

While our visible Universe could be a 3-brane, some cosmological scenarios consider that other 3-branes could be hidden in the extra-dimensional bulk. Matter disappearance toward a hidden brane is mainly discussed for neutron - both theoretically and experimentally - but other particles are poorly studied. Recent experimental results offer new constraints on positronium or quarkonium invisible decays. In the present work, we show how a two-brane Universe allows for such invisible decays. We put this result in the context of the recent experimental data to constrain the brane energy scale $M_B$ (or effective brane thickness $M_B^{-1}$) and the interbrane distance $d$ for a relevant two-brane Universe in a $SO(3,1)$-broken 5D bulk. Quarkonia present poor bounds compared to results deduced from previous passing-through-walls-neutron experiments for which scenarios with $M_B < 2.5 \times 10^{17}$ GeV and $d > 0.5$ fm are excluded. By contrast, positronium experiments can compete with neutron experiments depending on the matter content of each brane. To constrain scenarios up to the Planck scale, positronium experiments in vacuum cavity should be able to reach $\text{Br}(\text{o-Ps} \rightarrow \text{invisible}) \approx 10^{-6}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Sub-GeV-scale signatures of hidden braneworlds up to the Planck scale in a $SO(3,1)$-broken bulk

Many-brane universes are at the heart of several cosmological scenarios related to physics beyond the Standard Model. It is then a major concern to constrain these approaches. Two-brane Universes involving $SO(3,1)$-broken 5D bulks are among the cosmological models of interest. They also allow considering matter exchange between branes, a possible way to test these scenarios. Neutron disappearance (reappearance) toward (from) the hidden brane is currently tested with high-precision experiments to constrain the coupling constant $g$ between the visible and hidden neutron sectors. When dealing with the sub-GeV-scale quantum dynamics of fermions, any pair of braneworlds can be described by a non-commutative two-sheeted space-time $M_4\times Z_2$ from which $g$ emerges. Nevertheless, the calculation of the formal link between $g$ for a neutron and $SO(3,1)$-broken 5D bulks remains an open problem until now although necessary to constrain these braneworld scenarios. Thanks to a phenomenological model, we derive $g$ - for a neutron - between the two braneworlds endowed with their own copy of the standard model in a $SO(3,1)$-broken 5D bulk. Constraints on interbrane distance and brane energy scale (or brane thickness) are discussed. While brane energy scale below the GUT scale is excluded, energy scale up to the Planck limit allows neutron swapping detection in forthcoming experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Search for passing-through-walls neutrons constrains hidden braneworlds

In many theoretical frameworks our visible world is a $3$-brane, embedded in a multidimensional bulk, possibly coexisting with hidden braneworlds. Some works have also shown that matter swapping between braneworlds can occur. Here we report the results of an experiment - at the Institut Laue-Langevin (Grenoble, France) - designed to detect thermal neutron swapping to and from another braneworld, thus constraining the probability $p^2$ of such an event. The limit, $p<4.6\times 10^{-10}$ at $95 \%$ C.L., is $4$ orders of magnitude better than the previous bound based on the disappearance of stored ultracold neutrons. In the simplest braneworld scenario, for two parallel Planck-scale branes separated by a distance $d$, we conclude that $d>87$ in Planck length units.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2015

Probing graphene χ(2) using a gold photon sieve

Nonlinear second harmonic optical activity of graphene covering a gold photon sieve was determined for different polarizations. The photon sieve consists of a subwavelength gold nanohole array placed on glass. It combines the benefits of efficient light trapping and surface plasmon propagation in order to unravel different elements of graphene second-order susceptibility χ(2). Those elements efficiently contribute to second harmonic generation. In fact, the graphene- coated photon sieve produces a second harmonic intensity at least two orders of magnitude higher compared with a bare, flat gold layer and an order of magnitude coming from the plasmonic effect of the photon sieve; the remaining enhancement arises from the graphene layer itself. The measured second harmonic generation yield, supplemented by semianalytical computations, provides an original method to constrain the graphene χ(2) elements. The values obtained are |d_{31} + d_{33}| < 8.1 x 10^3 pm^2/V and |d_{15}| < 1.4 x 10^6 pm^2/V for a second harmonic signal at 780 nm. This original method can be applied to any kind of 2D materials covering such a plasmonic structure.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Quantum vacuum photon modes and repulsive Lifshitz-van der Waals interactions

The bridge between quantum vacuum photon modes and properties of patterned surfaces is currently being established on solid theoretical grounds. Based on these foundations, the manipulation of quantum vacuum photon modes in a nanostructured cavity is theoretically shown to be able to turn the Lifshitz-van der Waals forces from attractive to repulsive regime. Since this concept relies on surface nanopatterning instead of chemical composition changes, it drastically relaxes the usual conditions for achieving repulsive Lifshitz-van der Waals forces. As a case study, the potential interaction energy between a nanopatterned polyethylene slab and a flat polyethylene slab with water as intervening medium is calculated. Extremely small corrugations heights (less than ten nanometers) are shown to be able to turn the Lifshitz-van der Waals force from attractive to repulsive, the interaction strength being controlled by the corrugation height. This new approach could lead to various applications in surface science.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Probing the braneworld hypothesis with a neutron-shining-through-a-wall experiment

The possibility for our visible world to be a 3-brane embedded in a multidimensional bulk is at the heart of many theoretical edifices in high-energy physics. Probing the braneworld hypothesis is thus a major experimental challenge. Following recent theoretical works showing that matter swapping between braneworlds can occur, we propose a neutron-shining-through-a-wall experiment. We first show that an intense neutron source such as a nuclear reactor core can induce a hidden neutron flux in an adjacent hidden braneworld. We then describe how a low-background detector can detect neutrons arising from the hidden world and quantify the expected sensitivity to the swapping probability. As a proof of concept, a constraint is derived from previous experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Quantum vacuum photon-modes and superhydrophobicity

Nanostructures are commonly used for developing superhydrophobic surfaces. However, available wetting theoretical models ignore the effect of vacuum photon-modes alteration on van der Waals forces and thus on hydrophobicity. Using first-principle calculations, we show that superhydrophibicity of nanostructured surfaces is dramatically enhanced by vacuum photon-modes tuning. As a case study, wetting contact angles of a water droplet above a polyethylene nanostructured surface are obtained from the interaction potential energy calculated as function of the droplet-surface separation distance. This new approach could pave the way for the design of novel superhydrophobic coatings.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Do CVD grown graphene films have antibacterial activity on metallic substrates?

Accurate assessment of the antibacterial activity of graphene requires consideration of both the graphene fabrication method and, for supported films, the properties of the substrate. Large-area graphene films produced by chemical vapor deposition were grown directly on copper substrates or transferred on a gold substrate and their effect on the viability and proliferation of the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli were assessed. The viability and the proliferation of both bacterial species were not affected when they were grown on a graphene film entirely covering the gold substrate, indicating that conductivity plays no role on bacterial viability and graphene has no antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. On the other hand, antibacterial activity was observed when graphene coated the copper substrates, resulting from the release of bactericidal cupric ions in inverse proportion to the graphene surface coverage.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2014

A two-in-one superhydrophobic and anti-reflective nanodevice in the grey cicada $\textit{Cicada orni}$ (Hemiptera)

Two separated levels of functionality are identified in the nanostructure which covers the wings of the grey cicada $\textit{Cicada orni}$ (Hemiptera). The upper level is responsible for superhydrophobic character of the wing while the lower level enhances its anti-reflective behavior. Extensive wetting experiments with various chemical species and optical measurements were performed in order to assess the bi-functionality. Scanning electron microscopy imaging was used to identify the nanostructure morphology. Numerical optical simulations and analytical wetting models were used to prove the roles of both levels of the nanostructure. In addition, the complex refractive index of the chitinous material of the wing was determined from measurements.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2014

Plasmon hybridization in pyramidal metamaterials: a route towards ultra-broadband absorption

Pyramidal metamaterials are currently developed for ultra-broadband absorbers. They consist of periodic arrays of alternating metal/dielectric layers forming truncated square-based pyramids. The metallic layers of increasing lengths play the role of vertically and, to a less extent, laterally coupled plasmonic resonators. Based on detailed numerical simulations, we demonstrate that plasmon hybridization between such resonators helps in achieving ultra-broadband absorption. The dipolar modes of individual resonators are shown to be prominent in the electromagnetic coupling mechanism. Lateral coupling between adjacent pyramids and vertical coupling between alternating layers are proven to be key parameters for tuning of plasmon hybridization. Following optimization, the operational bandwidth of Au/Ge pyramids, i.e. the bandwidth within which absorption is higher than 90%, extends over a 0.2-5.8 micrometers wavelength range, i.e. from UV-visible to mid-infrared, and total absorption (integrated over the operational bandwidth) amounts to 98.0%. The omni-directional and polarization-independent high-absorption properties of the device are verified. Moreover, we show that the choice of the dielectric layer material (Si versus Ge) is not critical for achieving ultra-broadband characteristics, which confers versatility for both design and fabrication. Realistic fabrication scenarios are briefly discussed. This plasmon hybridization route could be useful in developing photothermal devices, thermal emitters or shielding devices that dissimulate objects from near infrared detectors.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Colloidal pattern replication through contact photolithography operated in a "Talbot-Fabry-Perot" regime

We detail on a continuous colloidal pattern replication by using contact photolithography. Chrome on quartz masks are fabricated using colloidal nanosphere lithography and subsequently used as photolithography stamps. Hexagonal pattern arrangements with different dimensions (980, 620 and 480 nm, using colloidal particles with respective diameters) have been studied. When the mask and the imaged resist layer were in intimate contact, a high fidelity pattern replica was obtained after photolithography exposure and processing. In turn, the presence of an air-gap in between has been found to affect the projected image onto the photoresist layer, strongly dependent on the mask feature size and air-gap height. Pattern replication, inversion and hybridization was achieved for 980 nm-period mask; no hybridization for the 620 nm; and only pattern replication for the 480 nm. These results are interpreted in the framework of a "Talbot-Fabry-Perot" effect. Numerical simulations corroborate with the experimental findings providing insight into the involved processes highlighting the important parameters affecting the exposure pattern. The approach allows complex subwavelength patterning and is relevant for a 3D layer-by-layer printing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

The fundamental problem of treating light incoherence in photovoltaics and its practical consequences

The incoherence of sunlight has long been suspected to have an impact on solar cell energy conversion efficiency, although the extent of this is unclear. Existing computational methods used to optimize solar cell efficiency under incoherent light are based on multiple time-consuming runs and statistical averaging. These indirect methods show limitations related to the complexity of the solar cell structure. As a consequence, complex corrugated cells, which exploit light trapping for enhancing the efficiency, have not yet been accessible for optimization under incoherent light. To overcome this bottleneck, we developed an original direct method which has the key advantage that the treatment of incoherence can be totally decoupled from the complexity of the cell. As an illustration, surface corrugated GaAs and c-Si thin-films are considered. The spectrally integrated absorption in these devices is found to depend strongly on the degree of light coherence and, accordingly, the maximum achievable photocurrent can be higher under incoherent light than under coherent light. These results show the importance of taking into account sunlight incoherence in solar cell optimization and point out the ability of our direct method in dealing with complex solar cells structures.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Exciton swapping in a twisted graphene bilayer as a solid-state realization of a two-brane model

It is shown that exciton swapping between two graphene sheets may occur under specific conditions. A magnetically tunable optical filter is described to demonstrate this new effect. Mathematically, it is shown that two turbostratic graphene layers can be described as a "noncommutative" two-sheeted (2+1)-spacetime thanks to a formalism previously introduced for the study of braneworlds in high energy physics. The Hamiltonian of the model contains a coupling term connecting the two layers which is similar to the coupling existing between two braneworlds at a quantum level. In the present case, this term is related to a K-K' intervalley coupling. In addition, the experimental observation of this effect could be a way to assess the relevance of some theoretical concepts of the braneworld hypothesis.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Testing baryon number conservation in braneworld models with cold neutrons

In the context of multi-brane Universe models, matter swapping between two braneworlds is allowed leading to a baryon number violation in our visible world. An experimental framework is described to test such a phenomenology with cold neutrons thanks to a neutron-shining-through-a-wall experiment.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Graphene-coated holey metal films: tunable molecular sensing by surface plasmon resonance

We report on the enhancement of surface plasmon resonances in a holey bidimensional grating of subwavelength size, drilled in a gold thin film coated by a graphene sheet. The enhancement originates from the coupling between charge carriers in graphene and gold surface plasmons. The main plasmon resonance peak is located around 1.5 microns. A lower constraint on the gold-induced doping concentration of graphene is specified and the interest of this architecture for molecular sensing is also highlighted.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗