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1. Sensing spin wave excitations by spin defects in few-layer-thick hexagonal boron nitride

   https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adk8495  

   Zhou, Jingcheng; Lu, Hanyi; Chen, Di; Huang, Mengqi; Yan, Gerald Q; Al-matouq, Faris; Chang, Jiu; Djugba, Dziga; Jiang, Zhigang; Wang, Hailong; et al (May 2024, Science Advances)

   Optically active spin defects in wide bandgap semiconductors serve as a local sensor of multiple degrees of freedom in a variety of “hard” and “soft” condensed matter systems. Taking advantage of the recent progress on quantum sensing using van der Waals (vdW) quantum materials, here we report direct measurements of spin waves excited in magnetic insulator Y₃Fe₅O₁₂(YIG) by boron vacancy $V_{\mathrm{B}}^{-}$ spin defects contained in few-layer-thick hexagonal boron nitride nanoflakes. We show that the ferromagnetic resonance and parametric spin excitations can be effectively detected by $V_{\mathrm{B}}^{-}$ spin defects under various experimental conditions through optically detected magnetic resonance measurements. The off-resonant dipole interaction between YIG magnons and $V_{\mathrm{B}}^{-}$ spin defects is mediated by multi-magnon scattering processes, which may find relevant applications in a range of emerging quantum sensing, computing, and metrology technologies. Our results also highlight the opportunities offered by quantum spin defects in layered two-dimensional vdW materials for investigating local spin dynamic behaviors in magnetic solid-state matters. 

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2. Charge state-dependent symmetry breaking of atomic defects in transition metal dichalcogenides

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47039-4  

   Xiang, Feifei; Huberich, Lysander; Vargas, Preston A; Torsi, Riccardo; Allerbeck, Jonas; Tan, Anne_Marie Z; Dong, Chengye; Ruffieux, Pascal; Fasel, Roman; Gröning, Oliver; et al (December 2024, Nature Communications)

   Abstract The functionality of atomic quantum emitters is intrinsically linked to their host lattice coordination. Structural distortions that spontaneously break the lattice symmetry strongly impact their optical emission properties and spin-photon interface. Here we report on the direct imaging of charge state-dependent symmetry breaking of two prototypical atomic quantum emitters in mono- and bilayer MoS₂by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM). By changing the built-in substrate chemical potential, different charge states of sulfur vacancies (Vac_S) and substitutional rhenium dopants (Re_Mo) can be stabilized.$${\mathrm{Vac}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{S}}}}}}}}}^{-1}$$ ${\mathrm{Vac}}_S^{-1}$ as well as$${{\mathrm{Re}}}_{{{{{{{{\rm{Mo}}}}}}}}}^{0}$$ ${\mathrm{Re}}_{\mathrm{Mo}}^0$ and$${\mathrm{Re}}_{{\rm{Mo}}}^{-1}$$ ${\mathrm{Re}}_{\mathrm{Mo}}^{-1}$ exhibit local lattice distortions and symmetry-broken defect orbitals attributed to a Jahn-Teller effect (JTE) and pseudo-JTE, respectively. By mapping the electronic and geometric structure of single point defects, we disentangle the effects of spatial averaging, charge multistability, configurational dynamics, and external perturbations that often mask the presence of local symmetry breaking. 

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3. Measurement of the e+e− → $$ {B}_s^0{\overline{B}}_s^0X $$ cross section in the energy range from 10.63 to 11.02 GeV using inclusive $$ {D}_s^{+} $$ and D0 production

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2023)131  

   Zhukova, V; Mizuk, R; Adachi, I; Aihara, H; Al_Said, S; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; Aulchenko, V; Aushev, T; Ayad, R; et al (August 2023, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A<sc>bstract</sc> We report the first measurement of the inclusivee⁺e⁻→$$ b\overline{b} $$ $b\overline{b}$ →$$ {D}_s^{\pm } $$ $D_s^{\pm }$ Xande⁺e⁻→$$ b\overline{b} $$ $b\overline{b}$ → D⁰/$$ {\overline{D}}^0 $$ ${\overline{D}}^0$ Xcross sections in the energy range from 10.63 to 11.02 GeV. Based on these results, we determineσ(e⁺e⁻→$$ {B}_s^0{\overline{B}}_s^0 $$ $B_s^0{\overline{B}}_s^0$ X) andσ(e⁺e⁻→$$ B\overline{B} $$ $B\overline{B}$ X) in the same energy range. We measure the fraction of$$ {B}_s^0 $$ $B_s^0$ events at Υ(10860) to bef_s= ($$ {22.0}_{-2.1}^{+2.0} $$ ${22.0}_{-2.1}^{+2.0}$ )%. We determine also the ratio of the$$ {B}_s^0 $$ $B_s^0$ inclusive branching fractions$$ \mathcal{B} $$ $B$ ($$ {B}_s^0 $$ $B_s^0$ → D⁰/$$ {\overline{D}}^0 $$ ${\overline{D}}^0$ X)/$$ \mathcal{B} $$ $B$ ($$ {B}_s^0 $$ $B_s^0$ →$$ {D}_s^{\pm } $$ $D_s^{\pm }$ X) = 0.416 ± 0.018 ± 0.092. The results are obtained using the data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energye⁺e⁻collider. 

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4. Elliptic anisotropy measurement of the f0(980) hadron in proton-lead collisions and evidence for its quark-antiquark composition

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56200-6  

   Hayrapetyan, A; Tumasyan, A; Adam, W; Andrejkovic, J W; Bergauer, T; Chatterjee, S; Damanakis, K; Dragicevic, M; Hussain, P S; Jeitler, M; et al (December 2025, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Despite the f₀(980) hadron having been discovered half a century ago, the question about its quark content has not been settled: it might be an ordinary quark-antiquark ($${{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}$$ $q\overline{q}$ ) meson, a tetraquark ($${{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}{{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}$$ $q\overline{q}q\overline{q}$ ) exotic state, a kaon-antikaon ($${{\rm{K}}}\overline{{{\rm{K}}}}$$ $K\overline{K}$ ) molecule, or a quark-antiquark-gluon ($${{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}{{\rm{g}}}$$ $q\overline{q}g$ ) hybrid. This paper reports strong evidence that the f₀(980) state is an ordinary$${{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}$$ $q\overline{q}$ meson, inferred from the scaling of elliptic anisotropies (v₂) with the number of constituent quarks (n_q), as empirically established using conventional hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The f₀(980) state is reconstructed via its dominant decay channel f₀(980) →π⁺π⁻, in proton-lead collisions recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, and itsv₂is measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_T). It is found that then_q= 2 ($${{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}$$ $q\overline{q}$ state) hypothesis is favored overn_q= 4 ($${{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}{{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}$$ $q\overline{q}q\overline{q}$ or$${{\rm{K}}}\overline{{{\rm{K}}}}$$ $K\overline{K}$ states) by 7.7, 6.3, or 3.1 standard deviations in thep_T< 10, 8, or 6 GeV/cranges, respectively, and overn_q= 3 ($${{\rm{q}}}\overline{{{\rm{q}}}}{{\rm{g}}}$$ $q\overline{q}g$ hybrid state) by 3.5 standard deviations in thep_T< 8 GeV/crange. This result represents the first determination of the quark content of the f₀(980) state, made possible by using a novel approach, and paves the way for similar studies of other exotic hadron candidates. 

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5. Measurement of the branching fractions of $$ \overline{B} $$ → D(*)K−$$ {K}_{(S)}^{\left(\ast \right)0} $$ and $$ \overline{B} $$ → D(*)$$ {D}_s^{-} $$ decays at Belle II

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2024)206  

   Adachi, I; Aggarwal, L; Aihara, H; Akopov, N; Aloisio, A; Althubiti, N; Anh_Ky, N; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; Aushev, T; et al (August 2024, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   Abstract We present measurements of the branching fractions of eight$$ {\overline{B}}^0 $$ ${\overline{B}}^0$ →D^(*)+K⁻$$ {K}_{(S)}^{\left(\ast \right)0} $$ $K_{\left(S\right)}^{\left(\ast \right)0}$ ,B⁻→D^(*)0K⁻$$ {K}_{(S)}^{\left(\ast \right)0} $$ $K_{\left(S\right)}^{\left(\ast \right)0}$ decay channels. The results are based on data from SuperKEKB electron-positron collisions at the Υ(4S) resonance collected with the Belle II detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 362 fb⁻¹. The event yields are extracted from fits to the distributions of the difference between expected and observedBmeson energy, and are efficiency-corrected as a function ofm(K⁻$$ {K}_{(S)}^{\left(\ast \right)0} $$ $K_{\left(S\right)}^{\left(\ast \right)0}$ ) andm(D^(*)$$ {K}_{(S)}^{\left(\ast \right)0} $$ $K_{\left(S\right)}^{\left(\ast \right)0}$ ) in order to avoid dependence on the decay model. These results include the first observation of$$ {\overline{B}}^0 $$ ${\overline{B}}^0$ →D⁺K⁻$$ {K}_S^0 $$ $K_S^0$ ,B⁻→D*⁰K⁻$$ {K}_S^0 $$ $K_S^0$ , and$$ {\overline{B}}^0 $$ ${\overline{B}}^0$ →D*⁺K⁻$$ {K}_S^0 $$ $K_S^0$ decays and a significant improvement in the precision of the other channels compared to previous measurements. The helicity-angle distributions and the invariant mass distributions of theK⁻$$ {K}_{(S)}^{\left(\ast \right)0} $$ $K_{\left(S\right)}^{\left(\ast \right)0}$ systems are compatible with quasi-two-body decays via a resonant transition with spin-parityJ^P= 1⁻for theK⁻$$ {K}_S^0 $$ $K_S^0$ systems andJ^P= 1⁺for theK⁻K*⁰systems. We also present measurements of the branching fractions of four$$ {\overline{B}}^0 $$ ${\overline{B}}^0$ →D^(*)+$$ {D}_s^{-} $$ $D_s^{-}$ ,B⁻→D^(*)0$$ {D}_s^{-} $$ $D_s^{-}$ decay channels with a precision compatible to the current world averages. 

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