arXiv subjects

Miguel Levy

Publications and source records attributed to Miguel Levy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Soft Symmetry Breaking as a Nonstandard Source of Mass: Phenomenological Insights from the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model

The soft-breaking parameter, $m_{12}^2$, frequently appearing in the 2HDM scalar potential is much more remarkable than being just a nonstandard parameter that helps make the BSM scalars super heavy. In fact, as we show through explicit calculations, it should be treated as the direct but concise embodiment of new non-electroweak spontaneous symmetry breaking effects at very high energy scales, wherein lies its quiddities. Consequently, it is argued that $m_{12}^2$ and the electroweak VEV serve as two distinct sources for the nonstandard scalar masses, which are completely unrelated to each other. Such distinctions allow us to define parameters that conveniently capture the fraction of the nonstandard scalar masses derived from the electroweak VEV. Finally, we demonstrate that constraints can already be placed on such fractions from the current measurements of the diphoton signal strength and from direct searches of new nonstandard scalar resonances in the diphoton channel.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Gravity tidings from domain walls: Flavour hierarchies are making waves

Explaining the observed charged fermion mass hierarchies points to flavour symmetries inducing a suppression of the lighter species' masses. When the symmetries are global, it is expected that such symmetries are broken by gravity via Planck scale suppressed effective operators. The potential of the spontaneous symmetry-breaking "flavon" field, if the symmetry is discrete, then possesses several minima, with the vacuum-degeneracy lifted by the gravity effects. In such scenarios, domain walls might be generated in the process of symmetry breaking. Due to the bias, however, they potentially annihilate sufficiently before Big Bang nucleosynthesis, avoiding conflict with observations and generating a characteristic contribution to the stochastic gravitational wave background. We discuss whether and how minimalistic supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric realisations of such theories can give rise to observable gravitational waves.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Gravity-assisted neutrino masses

Gravity is generally expected to violate global symmetries, including lepton number. However, neutrino masses from the Planck-suppressed Weinberg operator are typically too small to account for oscillation data. We propose a new model-building approach to low-scale neutrino mass generation, in which an intermediate spontaneous symmetry-breaking scale generates masses and mixings in the heavy neutral lepton (HNL) sector, while leaving an unbroken residual symmetry $G_{\mathrm{res}}$ that forbids light-neutrino masses. The observed light-neutrino masses then arise because gravity breaks $G_{\mathrm{res}}$ via Planck-suppressed operators, inducing the small lepton-number violation required in low-scale seesaw constructions. The HNLs form pseudo-Dirac pairs, with masses potentially within reach of future colliders and complementary tests in precision searches such as charged lepton flavour violation (cLFV). As an illustration, we present a representative realisation of this class of models and show that, for $\mathcal{O}(1)$ operator coefficients, it predicts a region in the ($M_R$, $\Theta^2$)-plane that can be testable via displaced-vertex searches at the High-Luminosity (HL) LHC and the FCC-ee.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Optical Vortex Spin-Orbit Control of Refractive Index in Iron Garnets

The interaction between light's angular momentum (AM) and material systems has unlocked new avenues in structured photonics, including in magneto-optical (MO) materials. While spin angular momentum (SAM) effects in MO systems are well-established, orbital angular momentum (OAM) introduces novel opportunities for new nonreciprocal light-matter interactions. In this study, we demonstrate a unique optical phenomenon where OAM states undergo state-specific nonreciprocal operation within an MO medium, reducing Faraday rotation. This effect arises from transverse momentum transfer into the material, inducing spin-orbit coupling (SOC) at a perturbed electronic transition rate. The resulting OAM-dependent optical SOC modifies the material's refractive index, directly linking structured light and MO response. Our findings extend previous observations of paraxial beams and reveal a deeper fundamental mechanism governing OAM-driven nonreciprocal interactions. These insights pave the way for OAM-selective nonreciprocal photonic devices, chiral optical logic, quantum memory elements, and ultrafast spintronic architectures. This work advances MO integration with structured light for enhanced control over photonic and spintronic systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Flavor puzzle in three Higgs-doublet models: Insights from BGL and lessons from flavor data

We study a variant of the 3HDM, referred to as the BGL-3HDM, incorporating a $U(1)_1\times U(1)_2$ symmetry, which can distinguish the primary sources of mass for different fermion generations. In the version considered here, the Yukawa matrices in the down-quark and charged lepton sectors are diagonal, thereby eliminating tree-level FCNCs in these sectors. FCNC interactions mediated by neutral nonstandard Higgses are confined to the up-quark sector only. No new BSM parameters are introduced by the Yukawa sector of the model, making it as economical as the NFC versions of 3HDM with a $U(1)_1\times U(1)_2$ symmetry in terms of the number of free parameters. However, even in the down-quark and in the charged lepton sectors, flavor diagonal but nonuniversal Higgs couplings set this model apart from the NFC versions of the 3HDM.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Sign of the $hZZ$ coupling and implication for new physics

The magnitudes of the couplings of the scalar resonance at 125 GeV with the SM particles are found to be consistent with those of the SM Higgs boson. However, the signs are not experimentally determined in most of the cases, a prime example being that with the $Z$-boson pair. In other words, $κ_Z^h$, the ratio of the couplings of the actual 125 GeV resonance with $ZZ$ and that of the SM Higgs boson with the same, is consistent with both $+1$ and $-1$, the latter being the `wrong-sign'. We argue that the wrong-sign $hZZ$ coupling will necessitate the intervention of new physics below $\mathcal{O}\left(620\right)$ GeV to safeguard the underlying theory from unitarity violation. The strength of the new nonstandard couplings can be derived from the unitarity sum rules, which are comparable to the SM-Higgs couplings in magnitude. Thus the strong limits from the direct searches at the LHC can help us rule out the existence of such nonstandard particles with unusually large couplings thereby disfavoring the possibility of a wrong-sign $hZZ$ coupling.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Cryogenic hybrid magnonic circuits based on spalled YIG thin films

Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) magnonics has garnered significant research interest because of the unique properties of magnons (quasiparticles of collective spin excitation) for signal processing. In particular, hybrid systems based on YIG magnonics show great promise for quantum information science due to their broad frequency tunability and strong compatibility with other platforms. However, their broad applications have been severely constrained by substantial microwave loss in the gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrate at cryogenic temperatures. In this study, we demonstrate that YIG thin films can be spalled from YIG/GGG samples. Our approach is validated by measuring hybrid devices comprising superconducting resonators and spalled YIG films, which exhibits anti-crossing features that indicate strong coupling between magnons and microwave photons. Such new capability of separating YIG thin films from GGG substrates via spalling, and the integrated superconductor-YIG devices represent a significant advancement for integrated magnonic devices, paving the way for advanced magnon-based coherent information processing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Optical excitation of multiple standing spin modes in 3D optomagnonic nanocavities

We report the first experimental observation of multiple standing spin modes in 3D optomagnonic nanocavity formed by nanometer-sized iron-garnet nanocylinder. We show that launching of standing spin modes is achieved due to a high confinement of the optically generated effective magnetic field caused by the localized optical resonance. Quantization and spin-wave mode inhomogeneity is achieved in each of the three spatial dimensions. The presented approach opens new horizons of 3D optomagnonics by combining nanophotonic and magnonic functionalities within a single nanocavity.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

A Modular $SU(5)$ Littlest Seesaw

We extend the littlest modular seesaw to a Grand Unified scenario based on $SU(5)$ endowed with three modular $S_4$ symmetries. We leverage symmetry protected zeroes in the leptonic and down quark sectors to suppress deviations to the littlest modular seesaw predictions, but not contributions to the quark mixing. The model is supplemented by two weighton fields, such that the hierarchical nature of the charged-lepton masses, as well as the quark masses and mixing, stem from the content and symmetries of the model, rather than a hierarchical nature of the Yukawa coefficients.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Revisiting the Universal Texture Zero of Flavour: a Markov Chain Monte Carlo Analysis

We revisit the phenomenological predictions of the Universal Texture Zero (UTZ) model of flavour originally presented in arXiv:1710.01741, and update them in light of both improved experimental constraints and numerical analysis techniques. In particular, we have developed an in-house Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm to exhaustively explore the UTZ's viable parameter space, considering both leading- and next-to-leading contributions in the model's effective operator product expansion. We also extract -- for the first time -- reliable UTZ predictions for the (poorly constrained) leptonic CP-violating phases, and ratio observables that characterize neutrino masses probed by (e.g.) oscillation, $β$-decay, and cosmological processes. We therefore dramatically improve on the proof-in-principle phenomenological analysis originally presented in arXiv:1710.01741, and ultimately show that the UTZ remains a minimal, viable, and appealing theory of flavour. Our results also further demonstrate the potential of robustly examining multi-parameter flavour models with MCMC routines.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Democratic three Higgs-doublet models: the custodial limit and wrong-sign Yukawa

We study two novel aspects of democratic 3HDMs -- the custodial limit and the possibility of wrong-sign Yukawa couplings. In the custodial limit, the democratic 3HDMs can easily negotiate the constraints from the electroweak $T$-parameter. We also uncover the possibility of having wrong-sign Yukawa couplings in democratic 3HDMs, as in the case of 2HDMs. We show that a democratic 3HDM encompasses all the wrong-sign possibilities entertained by 2HDMs, and has considerably more leeway in the wrong-sign limit as compared to the 2HDM case. Our study underscores the importance of reporting analysis in the kappa-formalism without any implicit assumptions on the signs of the kappas.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Littlest Modular Seesaw

We present the first complete model of the Littlest Modular Seesaw, based on two right-handed neutrinos, within the framework of multiple modular symmetries, justifying the use of multiple moduli fields which take their values at 3 specific stabilizers of $Γ_4 \simeq S_4$, including a new phenomenological possibility. Using a semi-analytical approach, we perform a $χ^2$ analysis of each case and show that good agreement with neutrino oscillation data is obtained, including predictive relations between the leptonic mixing angles and the ratio of light neutrino masses, which non-trivially agree with the experimental values. It is noteworthy that in this very predictive setup, the models fit the global fits of the experimental data remarkably well, both with and without the Super-Kamiokande atmospheric data, for both choices of stabilizers. By extending the model to include a weighton and the double cover group $Γ'_4 \simeq S'_4$, we are able to also account for the hierarchy of the charged leptons using modular symmetries, without altering the neutrino predictions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Diluting quark flavor hierarchies using dihedral symmetry

We present a $D_4$ flavored extension of the SM which provides an intuitive reasoning for the masses and mixing patterns in the quark sector. In our model, the Cabibbo mixing angle stems purely from the scalar sector dynamics. In fact, the orders of magnitude of the CKM matrix elements are readily obtained from the hierarchical nature of the vacuum expectation values. Moreover, we also show that the smallness of the off-Cabibbo elements in the CKM matrix is strongly connected to the heaviness of the third generation of quarks.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Exploring multi-Higgs models with softly broken large discrete symmetry groups

We develop methods to study the scalar sector of multi-Higgs models with large discrete symmetry groups that are softly broken. While in the exact symmetry limit, the model has very few parameters and can be studied analytically, proliferation of quadratic couplings in the most general softly broken case makes the analysis cumbersome. We identify two sets of soft breaking terms which play different roles: those which preserve the symmetric vacuum expectation value alignment, and the remaining terms which shift it. Focusing on alignment preserving terms, we check which structural features of the symmetric parent model are conserved and which are modified. We find remarkable examples of structural features which are inherited from the parent symmetric model and which persist even when no exact symmetry is left. The general procedure is illustrated with the example of the three-Higgs-doublet model with the softly broken symmetry group $Σ(36)$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Prospects of light charged scalars in a three Higgs doublet model with $Z_3$ symmetry

The stringent constraints from the direct searches for exotic scalars at the LHC as well as indirect bounds from flavor physics measurements have imposed severe restrictions on the parameter space of new physics models featuring extended Higgs sectors. In the Type-II 2HDM, this implies a lower bound on the charged Higgs masses of $\cal O$(600 GeV). In this work we analyze the phenomenology of a Z3HDM in the alignment limit focusing on the impact of flavor physics constraints on its parameter space. We show that the couplings of the two charged Higgs bosons in this model feature an additional suppression factor compared to Type-II 2HDM. This gives rise to a significant relaxation of the flavor physics constraints in this model, allowing the charged Higgs masses to be as low as $\cal O$(200 GeV). We also consider the constraints coming from precision electroweak observables and the observed diphoton decay rate of the 125 GeV Higgs boson at the LHC. The bounds coming from the direct searches of nonstandard Higgs bosons at the LHC, particularly those from resonance searches in the ditau channel, prove to be very effective in constraining this scenario further.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Magneto-optics of the 2D iron-garnet nanocylinder array with localized and lattice modes

We experimentally show the enhancement of the Faraday and transverse magneto-optical Kerr effects in the two-dimensional arrays of nanocylinders made of bismuth-substituted iron-garnet and supporting both localized and lattice modes. Simultaneous excitation of these modes makes it possible to increase the Faraday rotation by 3 times and TMOKE by an order of magnitude compared to the smooth magnetic film of the equal effective thickness. Both magneto-optical effects are enhanced in wide spectral and angular ranges making the nanocylinder array magnetic dielectric structures promising for applications with short and tightly-focused laser pulses.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Warm Inflation, Neutrinos and Dark matter: a minimal extension of the Standard Model

We show that warm inflation can be realized within a minimal extension of the Standard Model with three right-handed neutrinos, three complex scalars and a gauged lepton/B-L U(1) symmetry. This simple model can address all the shortcomings of the Standard Model that are not related to fine-tuning, within general relativity, with distinctive experimental signatures that can be probed in the near future. The inflaton field emerges from the collective breaking of the U(1) symmetry, and interacts with two of the right-handed neutrinos, sustaining a high-temperature radiation bath during inflation. The discrete interchange symmetry of the model protects the scalar potential against large thermal corrections and leads to a stable inflaton remnant at late times which can account for dark matter. Consistency of the model and agreement with Cosmic Microwave Background observations naturally yield light neutrino masses below 0.1 eV, while thermal leptogenesis occurs naturally after a smooth exit from inflation into the radiation era.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Symmetries and stabilisers in modular invariant flavour models

The idea of modular invariance provides a novel explanation of flavour mixing. Within the context of finite modular symmetries $Γ_N$ and for a given element $γ\in Γ_N$, we present an algorithm for finding stabilisers (specific values for moduli fields $τ_γ$ which remain unchanged under the action associated to $γ$). We then employ this algorithm to find all stabilisers for each element of finite modular groups for $N=2$ to $5$, namely, $Γ_2\simeq S_3$, $Γ_3\simeq A_4$, $Γ_4\simeq S_4$ and $Γ_5\simeq A_5$. These stabilisers then leave preserved a specific cyclic subgroup of $Γ_N$. This is of interest to build models of fermionic mixing where each fermionic sector preserves a separate residual symmetry.

hep-ph↗