arXiv subjects

T. Okuda

Publications and source records attributed to T. Okuda.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Measurement of the Proton-Air Cross Section with Telescope Array's Black Rock Mesa and Long Ridge Fluorescence Detectors, and Surface Array in Hybrid Mode

Ultra high energy cosmic rays provide the highest known energy source in the universe to measure proton cross sections. Though conditions for collecting such data are less controlled than an accelerator environment, current generation cosmic ray observatories have large enough exposures to collect significant statistics for a reliable measurement for energies above what can be attained in the lab. Cosmic ray measurements of cross section use atmospheric calorimetry to measure depth of air shower maximum ($X_{\mathrm{max}}$), which is related to the primary particle's energy and mass. The tail of the $X_{\mathrm{max}}$ distribution is assumed to be dominated by showers generated by protons, allowing measurement of the inelastic proton-air cross section. In this work the proton-air inelastic cross section measurement, $σ^{\mathrm{inel}}_{\mathrm{p-air}}$, using data observed by Telescope Array's Black Rock Mesa and Long Ridge fluorescence detectors and surface detector array in hybrid mode is presented. $σ^{\mathrm{inel}}_{\mathrm{p-air}}$ is observed to be $520.1 \pm 35.8$[Stat.] $^{+25.0}_{-40}$[Sys.]~mb at $\sqrt{s} = 73$ TeV. The total proton-proton cross section is subsequently inferred from Glauber formalism and is found to be $σ^{\mathrm{tot}}_{\mathrm{pp}} = 139.4 ^{+23.4}_{-21.3}$ [Stat.]$ ^{+15.0}_{-24.0}$[Sys.]~mb.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Search for Ultra-High-Energy Neutrinos with the Telescope Array Surface Detector

We present an upper limit on the flux of ultra-high-energy down-going neutrinos for $E > 10^{18}\ \mbox{eV}$ derived with the nine years of data collected by the Telescope Array surface detector (05-11-2008 -- 05-10-2017). The method is based on the multivariate analysis technique, so-called Boosted Decision Trees (BDT). Proton-neutrino classifier is built upon 16 observables related to both the properties of the shower front and the lateral distribution function.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Switching of band inversion and topological surface states by charge density wave

Topologically nontrivial materials host protected edge states associated with the bulk band inversion through the bulk-edge correspondence. Manipulating such edge states is highly desired for developing new functions and devices practically using their dissipation-less nature and spin-momentum locking. Here we introduce a transition-metal dichalcogenide VTe$_2$, that hosts a charge density wave (CDW) coupled with the band inversion involving V3$d$ and Te5$p$ orbitals. Spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with first-principles calculations reveal the huge anisotropic modification of the bulk electronic structure by the CDW formation, accompanying the selective disappearance of Dirac-type spin-polarized topological surface states that exist in the normal state. Thorough three dimensional investigation of bulk states indicates that the corresponding band inversion at the Brillouin zone boundary dissolves upon CDW formation, by transforming into anomalous flat bands. Our finding provides a new insight to the topological manipulation of matters by utilizing CDWs' flexible characters to external stimuli.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Nature of the Dirac gap modulation and surface magnetic interaction in axion antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$

Modification of the gap at the Dirac point (DP) in antiferromagnetic (AFM) axion topological insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ and its electronic and spin structure has been studied by angle- and spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) under laser excitation with variation of temperature (9-35~K), light polarization and photon energy. We have distinguished both a large (62-67~meV) and a reduced (15-18~meV) gap at the DP in the ARPES dispersions, which remains open above the Néel temperature ($T_\mathrm{N}=24.5$~K). We propose that the gap above $T_\mathrm{N}$ remains open due to short-range magnetic field generated by chiral spin fluctuations. Spin-resolved ARPES, XMCD and circular dichroism ARPES measurements show a surface ferromagnetic ordering for large-gap sample and significantly reduced effective magnetic moment for the reduced-gap sample. These effects can be associated with a shift of the topological DC state towards the second Mn layer due to structural defects and mechanical disturbance, where it is influenced by a compensated effect of opposite magnetic moments.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Search for point sources of ultra-high energy photons with the Telescope Array surface detector

The surface detector (SD) of the Telescope Array (TA) experiment allows one to indirectly detect photons with energies of order $10^{18}$ eV and higher and to separate photons from the cosmic-ray background. In this paper we present the results of a blind search for point sources of ultra-high energy (UHE) photons in the Northern sky using the TA SD data. The photon-induced extensive air showers (EAS) are separated from the hadron-induced EAS background by means of a multivariate classifier based upon 16 parameters that characterize the air shower events. No significant evidence for the photon point sources is found. The upper limits are set on the flux of photons from each particular direction in the sky within the TA field of view, according to the experiment's angular resolution for photons. Average 95% C.L. upper limits for the point-source flux of photons with energies greater than $10^{18}$, $10^{18.5}$, $10^{19}$, $10^{19.5}$ and $10^{20}$ eV are $0.094$, $0.029$, $0.010$, $0.0073$ and $0.0058$ km$^{-2}$yr$^{-1}$ respectively. For the energies higher than $10^{18.5}$ eV, the photon point-source limits are set for the first time. Numerical results for each given direction in each energy range are provided as a supplement to this paper.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Observation of a cubic Rashba effect in the surface spin structure of rare-earth ternary materials

Spin-orbit interaction and structure inversion asymmetry in combination with magnetic ordering is a promising route to novel materials with highly mobile spin-polarized carriers at the surface. Spin-resolved measurements of the photoemission current from the Si-terminated surface of the antiferromagnet TbRh2Si2 and their analysis within an ab initio one-step theory unveil an unusual triple winding of the electron spin along the fourfold-symmetric constant energy contours of the surface states. A two-band k.p model is presented that yields the triple winding as a cubic Rashba effect. The curious in-plane spin-momentum locking is remarkably robust and remains intact across a paramagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition in spite of spin-orbit interaction on Rh atoms being considerably weaker than the out-of-plane exchange field due to the Tb 4f moments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Weyl-like points from band inversions of spin-polarised surface states in NbGeSb

Band inversions are key to stabilising a variety of novel electronic states in solids, from topological surface states in inverted bulk band gaps of topological insulators to the formation of symmetry-protected three-dimensional Dirac and Weyl points and nodal-line semimetals. Here, we create a band inversion not of bulk states, but rather between manifolds of surface states. We realise this by aliovalent substitution of Nb for Zr and Sb for S in the ZrSiS family of nonsymmorphic semimetals. Using angle-resolved photoemission and density-functional theory, we show how two pairs of surface states, known from ZrSiS, are driven to intersect each other in the vicinity of the Fermi level in NbGeSb, as well as to develop pronounced spin-orbit mediated spin splittings. We demonstrate how mirror symmetry leads to protected crossing points in the resulting spin-orbital entangled surface band structure, thereby stabilising surface state analogues of three-dimensional Weyl points. More generally, our observations suggest new opportunities for engineering topologically and symmetry-protected states via band inversions of surface states.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Radial spin texture in elemental tellurium with chiral crystal structure

The chiral crystal is characterized by a lack of mirror symmetry and an inversion center, resulting in the inequivalent right- and left-handed structures. In the noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, the spin and momentum of electrons are locked in the reciprocal space with the help of the spin-orbit interaction. To reveal the spin textures of chiral crystals, here we investigate the spin and electronic structure in p-type semiconductor elemental tellurium with a chiral crystal structure by using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our data demonstrate that the highest valence band crossing the Fermi level has a spin component parallel to the electron momentum around the BZ corners. Significantly, we have also confirmed that the spin polarization is reversed in the crystal with the opposite chirality. The results indicate that the spin textures of the right- and left-handed chiral crystals are hedgehog-like, leading to unconventional magnetoelectric effects and nonreciprocal phenomena.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Non-trivial surface states of samarium hexaboride at the (111) surface

The peculiar metallic electronic states observed in the Kondo insulator, samarium hexaboride (SmB$_6$), has stimulated considerable attention among those studying non-trivial electronic phenomena. However, experimental studies of these states have led to controversial conclusions mainly to the difficulty and inhomogeneity of the SmB$_6$ crystal surface. Here, we show the detailed electronic structure of SmB$_6$ with angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of the three-fold (111) surface where only two inequivalent time-reversal-invariant momenta (TRIM) exist. We observe the metallic two-dimensional state was dispersed across the bulk Kondo gap. Its helical in-plane spin polarisation around the surface TRIM suggests that SmB$_6$ is topologically non-trivial, according to the topological classification theory for weakly correlated systems. Based on these results, we propose a simple picture of the controversial topological classification of SmB$_6$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Constraints on the diffuse photon flux with energies above $10^{18}$ eV using the surface detector of the Telescope Array experiment

We present the results of the search for ultra-high-energy photons with nine years of data from the Telescope Array surface detector. A multivariate classifier is built upon 16 reconstructed parameters of the extensive air shower. These parameters are related to the curvature and the width of the shower front, the steepness of the lateral distribution function, and the timing parameters of the waveforms sensitive to the shower muon content. A total number of two photon candidates found in the search is fully compatible with the expected background. The $95\%\,$CL limits on the diffuse flux of the photons with energies greater than $10^{18.0}$, $10^{18.5}$, $10^{19.0}$, $10^{19.5}$ and $10^{20.0}$ eV are set at the level of $0.067$, $0.012$, $0.0036$, $0.0013$, $0.0013~\mbox{km}^{-2}\mbox{yr}^{-1}\mbox{sr}^{-1}$ correspondingly.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

A general route to form topologically-protected surface and bulk Dirac fermions along high-symmetry lines

The band inversions that generate the topologically non-trivial band gaps of topological insulators and the isolated Dirac touching points of three-dimensional Dirac semimetals generally arise from the crossings of electronic states derived from different orbital manifolds. Recently, the concept of single orbital-manifold band inversions occurring along high-symmetry lines has been demonstrated, stabilising multiple bulk and surface Dirac fermions. Here, we discuss the underlying ingredients necessary to achieve such phases, and discuss their existence within the family of transition metal dichalcogenides. We show how their three-dimensional band structures naturally produce only small $k_z$ projected band gaps, and demonstrate how these play a significant role in shaping the surface electronic structure of these materials. We demonstrate, through spin- and angle-resolved photoemission and density functional theory calculations, how the surface electronic structures of the group-X TMDs PtSe$_2$ and PdTe$_2$ are host to up to five distinct surface states, each with complex band dispersions and spin textures. Finally, we discuss how the origin of several recently-realised instances of topological phenomena in systems outside of the TMDs, including the iron-based superconductors, can be understood as a consequence of the same underlying mechanism driving $k_z$-mediated band inversions in the TMDs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Mass composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with the Telescope Array Surface Detector Data

The results on ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) mass composition obtained with the Telescope Array surface detector are presented. The analysis employs the boosted decision tree (BDT) multivariate analysis built upon 14 observables related to both the properties of the shower front and the lateral distribution function. The multivariate classifier is trained with Monte-Carlo sets of events induced by the primary protons and iron. An average atomic mass of UHECR is presented for energies $10^{18.0}-10^{20.0}\ \mbox{eV}$. The average atomic mass of primary particles shows no significant energy dependence and corresponds to $\langle \ln A \rangle = 2.0 \pm 0.1 (stat.) \pm 0.44 (syst.)$. The result is compared to the mass composition obtained by the Telescope Array with $\mbox{X}_{\mbox{max}}$ technique along with the results of other experiments. Possible systematic errors of the method are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Discovery of Weyl nodal lines in a single-layer ferromagnet

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted great attention and spurred rapid development in both fundamental research and device applications. The search for exotic physical properties, such as magnetic and topological order, in 2D materials could enable the realization of novel quantum devices and is therefore at the forefront of materials science. Here, we report the discovery of two-fold degenerate Weyl nodal lines in a 2D ferromagnetic material, a single-layer gadolinium-silver compound, based on combined angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and theoretical calculations. These Weyl nodal lines are symmetry protected and thus robust against external perturbations. The coexistence of magnetic and topological order in a 2D material is likely to inform ongoing efforts to devise and realize novel nanospintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Electronic properties of type-II Weyl semimetal WTe$_2$. A review perspective

Currently, there is a flurry of research interest on materials with an unconventional electronic structure, and we have already seen significant progress in their understanding and engineering towards real-life applications. The interest erupted with the discovery of graphene and topological insulators in the previous decade. The electrons in graphene simulate massless Dirac Fermions with a linearly dispersing Dirac cone in their band structure, while in topological insulators, the electronic bands wind non-trivially in momentum space giving rise to gapless surface states and bulk bandgap. Weyl semimetals in condensed matter systems are the latest addition to this growing family of topological materials. Weyl Fermions are known in the context of high energy physics since almost the beginning of quantum mechanics. They apparently violate charge conservation rules, displaying the "chiral anomaly", with such remarkable properties recently theoretically predicted and experimentally verified to exist as low energy quasiparticle states in certain condensed matter systems. Not only are these new materials extremely important for our fundamental understanding of quantum phenomena, but also they exhibit completely different transport phenomena. For example, massless Fermions are susceptible to scattering from non-magnetic impurities. Dirac semimetals exhibit non-saturating extremely large magnetoresistance as a consequence of their robust electronic bands being protected by time reversal symmetry. These open up whole new possibilities for materials engineering and applications including quantum computing. In this review, we recapitulate some of the outstanding properties of WTe$_2$, namely, its non-saturating titanic magnetoresistance due to perfect electron and hole carrier balance up to a very high magnetic field observed for the very first time. (Continued. Please see the main article).

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Testing a reported correlation between arrival directions of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays and a flux pattern from nearby starburst galaxies using Telescope Array data

The Pierre Auger Collaboration (Auger) recently reported a correlation between the arrival directions of cosmic rays with energies above 39 EeV and the flux pattern of 23 nearby starburst galaxies (SBGs). In this Letter, we tested the same hypothesis using cosmic rays detected by the Telescope Array experiment (TA) in the 9-year period from May 2008 to May 2017. Unlike the Auger analysis, we did not optimize the parameter values but kept them fixed to the best-fit values found by Auger, namely 9.7% for the anisotropic fraction of cosmic rays assumed to originate from the SBGs in the list and 12.9° for the angular scale of the correlations. The energy threshold we adopted is 43 EeV, corresponding to 39 EeV in Auger when taking into account the energy-scale difference between two experiments. We find that the TA data is compatible with isotropy to within 1.1σ and with the Auger result to within 1.4σ, meaning that it is not capable to discriminate between these two hypotheses.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Gamma-ray Showers Observed at Ground Level in Coincidence With Downward Lightning Leaders

Bursts of gamma ray showers have been observed in coincidence with downward propagating negative leaders in lightning flashes by the Telescope Array Surface Detector (TASD). The TASD is a 700~square kilometer cosmic ray observatory located in southwestern Utah, U.S.A. In data collected between 2014 and 2016, correlated observations showing the structure and temporal development of three shower-producing flashes were obtained with a 3D lightning mapping array, and electric field change measurements were obtained for an additional seven flashes, in both cases co-located with the TASD. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) information was also used throughout. The showers arrived in a sequence of 2--5 short-duration ($\le$10~$μ$s) bursts over time intervals of several hundred microseconds, and originated at an altitude of $\simeq$3--5 kilometers above ground level during the first 1--2 ms of downward negative leader breakdown at the beginning of cloud-to-ground lightning flashes. The shower footprints, associated waveforms and the effect of atmospheric propagation indicate that the showers consist primarily of downward-beamed gamma radiation. This has been supported by GEANT simulation studies, which indicate primary source fluxes of $\simeq$$10^{12}$--$10^{14}$ photons for $16^{\circ}$ half-angle beams. We conclude that the showers are terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs), similar to those observed by satellites, but that the ground-based observations are more representative of the temporal source activity and are also more sensitive than satellite observations, which detect only the most powerful TGFs.

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv2018

Depth of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray Induced Air Shower Maxima Measured by the Telescope Array Black Rock and Long Ridge FADC Fluorescence Detectors and Surface Array in Hybrid Mode

The Telescope Array observatory utilizes fluorescence detectors and surface detectors to observe air showers produced by ultra high energy cosmic rays in the Earth's atmosphere. Cosmic ray events observed in this way are termed hybrid data. The depth of air shower maximum is related to the mass of the primary particle that generates the shower. This paper reports on shower maxima data collected over 8.5 years using the Black Rock Mesa and Long Ridge fluorescence detectors in conjunction with the array of surface detectors. We compare the means and standard deviations of the observed $X_{\mathrm{max}}$ distributions with Monte Carlo $X_{\mathrm{max}}$ distributions of unmixed protons, helium, nitrogen, and iron, all generated using the QGSJet~II-04 hadronic model. We also perform an unbinned maximum likelihood test of the observed data, which is subjected to variable systematic shifting of the data $X_{\mathrm{max}}$ distributions to allow us to test the full distributions, and compare them to the Monte Carlo to see which elements are not compatible with the observed data. For all energy bins, QGSJet~II-04 protons are found to be compatible with Telescope Array hybrid data at the 95% confidence level after some systematic $X_{\mathrm{max}}$ shifting of the data. Three other QGSJet~II-04 elements are found to be compatible using the same test procedure in an energy range limited to the highest energies where data statistics are sparse.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Study of muons from ultra-high energy cosmic ray air showers measured with the Telescope Array experiment

One of the uncertainties in interpretation of ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) data comes from the hadronic interaction models used for air shower Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The number of muons observed at the ground from UHECR-induced air showers is expected to depend upon the hadronic interaction model. One may therefore test the hadronic interaction models by comparing the measured number of muons with the MC prediction. In this paper, we present the results of studies of muon densities in UHE extensive air showers obtained by analyzing the signal of surface detector stations which should have high $\it{muon \, purity}$. The muon purity of a station will depend on both the inclination of the shower and the relative position of the station. In 7 years' data from the Telescope Array experiment, we find that the number of particles observed for signals with an expected muon purity of $\sim$65% at a lateral distance of 2000 m from the shower core is $1.72 \pm 0.10{\rm (stat.)} \pm 0.37 {\rm (syst.)}$ times larger than the MC prediction value using the QGSJET II-03 model for proton-induced showers. A similar effect is also seen in comparisons with other hadronic models such as QGSJET II-04, which shows a $1.67 \pm 0.10 \pm 0.36$ excess. We also studied the dependence of these excesses on lateral distances and found a slower decrease of the lateral distribution of muons in the data as compared to the MC, causing larger discrepancy at larger lateral distances.

astro-ph.HE↗