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We present a lattice QCD calculation of the hadronic form factors for the semileptonic decays B→π and B(s)→D(s)ℓν, computed using the highly improved staggered quark action for both valence and sea quarks on the MILC collaboration’s 2+1+1-flavor ensembles with lattice spacings ranging from 0.09fm to 0.03fm, many with physical pion masses. On our finest ensembles, we compute the form factors directly at the physical b-quark mass. We discuss the computational setup and analysis strategies for two- and three-point correlation functions. For B(s)→D(s), we present preliminary results of chiral-continuum fits for the scalar and vector form factors. The goal of this project is a percent-level determination of the scalar and vector form factors to enable high-precision determinations of |Vub| and|Vcb|. This work fits into a broader program of lattice-QCD studies of weak B-meson decays by the MILC and Fermilab Lattice collaborations. 

We present the status of calculations of the form factors of the most relevant heavy-to-heavy and heavy-to-light decay channels. Using seven Nf=2+1+1 HISQ ensembles, with lattice spacings ranging from 0.15 fm down to 0.06 fm, we calculate the form factors of the decays, including correlations among them. More than half of our ensembles feature physical pion masses, and the heavy quarks are simulated at their physical masses using the Wilson-clover action with the Fermilab interpretation. Even though we have recently seen huge qualitative and quantitative leaps in the characterization of heavy-to-heavy decays, these advances have failed to translate into improvements for the inclusive vs exclusive question, or the matter of the Lepton Flavor Universality ratios. In particular, in the B→D∗ℓν channel, the current situation of the lattice-QCD form factors is far from clear. Further, the latest lattice-QCD results on the heavy-to-light form factors display unexplained tensions that must urgently be resolved. The work presented here is an attempt to address these issues. 

Precision tests of the Standard Model (SM) currently show a deficit in first-row Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) unitarity. In this talk, we discuss progress towards a correlated analysis of the lattice-QCD inputs needed to test this relation with kaon data using highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ) on the MILC Nf=2+1+1 configurations. We present the status of a new analysis of light-meson decay constant data where chiral-continuum fits are guided by staggered chiral perturbation theory (SChPT). The goal of SChPT is twofold: it allows us to use data not only at physical pion mass but also at unphysical masses. Moreover, it provides values of ChPT low energy constants (LECs) as well as their correlations. We also present a reanalysis of our previous kaon semileptonic form factor calculation, aiming to estimate correlations between the form factor and light-meson decay constants. We discuss the new methodology, new data included, and present some preliminary results. 

Precision tests of the Standard Model (SM) currently show a deficit in first-row Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) unitarity. In this talk, we discuss progress towards a correlated analysis of the lattice-QCD inputs needed to test this relation with kaon data using highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ) on the MILC Nf=2+1+1 configurations. We present the status of a new analysis of light-meson decay constant data where chiral-continuum fits are guided by staggered chiral perturbation theory (SChPT). The goal of SChPT is twofold: it allows us to use data not only at physical pion mass but also at unphysical masses. Moreover, it provides values of ChPT low energy constants (LECs) as well as their correlations. We also present a reanalysis of our previous kaon semileptonic form factor calculation, aiming to estimate correlations between the form factor and light-meson decay constants. We discuss the new methodology, new data included, and present some preliminary results. 

The precise value of the strong coupling αs(mZ) at the Z-boson mass mZ is essential for high-energy phenomenology and precision tests of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). We present the status of a program targeting a ∼0.3% determination of αs(mZ) using the renormalization group β-function in the infinite volume gradient flow scheme based on lattice QCD simulations of degenerate four-flavor highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) ensembles. In particular, we analyze both tree-level cutoff effects and finite-mass effects. We also outline the next steps of the analysis, including the infinite-volume and continuum extrapolations required for a precise determination of αs(mZ). 

Wepresentpreliminaryresultsfromalattice-QCDstudyofthehadroniccontributionstotherun- ningoftheelectromagneticcoupling,Δ𝛼(𝑄2),andtheelectroweakmixingangle,Δsin2 𝜃W(𝑄2). Using 𝑁𝑓=2 +1 +1 HISQensemblesatphysicalquarkmasses,wediscussthechallengesposed by strong statistical correlations in the time-momentum representation and propose a spectral- reconstruction strategy to obtain controlled continuum-extrapolated results across the full energy range. 

We investigate the state-of-the-art Lanczos eigensolvers available in the Grid and QUDA libraries. They include Implicitly Restarted Lanczos, Thick-Restart Lanczos, and Block Lanczos. We measure and analyze their performance for the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) Dirac operator. We also discuss optimization of Chebyshev acceleration. 

Abstract In this work, we investigated atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ)-assisted methane oxidation over a Ni-SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 catalyst. We evaluated possible reaction mechanisms by analyzing the correlation of gas phase, surface and plasma-produced species. Plasma feed gas compositions, plasma powers, and catalyst temperatures were varied to expand the experimental parameters. Real-time Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to quantify gas phase species from the reactions. The reactive incident fluxes generated by plasma were measured by molecular beam mass spectroscopy using an identical APPJ operating at the same conditions. A strong correlation of the quantified fluxes of plasma-produced atomic oxygen with that of CH 4 consumption, and CO and CO 2 formation implies that O atoms play an essential role in CH 4 oxidation for the investigated conditions. With the integration of APPJ, the apparent activation energy was lowered and a synergistic effect of 30% was observed. We also performed in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy to analyze the catalyst surface. The surface analysis showed that surface CO abundance mirrored the surface coverage of CH n at 25 °C. This suggests that CH n adsorbed on the catalyst surface as an intermediate species that was subsequently transformed into surface CO. We observed very little surface CH n absorbance at 500 °C, while a ten-fold increase of surface CO and stronger CO 2 absorption were seen. This indicates that for a nickel catalyst at 500 °C, the dissociation of CH 4 to CH n may be the rate-determining step in the plasma-assisted CH 4 oxidation for our conditions. We also found the CO vibrational frequency changes from 2143 cm −1 for gas phase CO to 2196 cm −1 for CO on a 25 °C catalyst surface, whereas the frequency of CO on a 500 °C catalyst was 2188 cm −1 . The change in CO vibrational frequency may be related to the oxidation of the catalyst. 

Plasma etching is an essential semiconductor manufacturing technology required to enable the current microelectronics industry. Along with lithographic patterning, thin-film formation methods, and others, plasma etching has dynamically evolved to meet the exponentially growing demands of the microelectronics industry that enables modern society. At this time, plasma etching faces a period of unprecedented changes owing to numerous factors, including aggressive transition to three-dimensional (3D) device architectures, process precision approaching atomic-scale critical dimensions, introduction of new materials, fundamental silicon device limits, and parallel evolution of post-CMOS approaches. The vast growth of the microelectronics industry has emphasized its role in addressing major societal challenges, including questions on the sustainability of the associated energy use, semiconductor manufacturing related emissions of greenhouse gases, and others. The goal of this article is to help both define the challenges for plasma etching and point out effective plasma etching technology options that may play essential roles in defining microelectronics manufacturing in the future. The challenges are accompanied by significant new opportunities, including integrating experiments with various computational approaches such as machine learning/artificial intelligence and progress in computational approaches, including the realization of digital twins of physical etch chambers through hybrid/coupled models. These prospects can enable innovative solutions to problems that were not available during the past 50 years of plasma etch development in the microelectronics industry. To elaborate on these perspectives, the present article brings together the views of various experts on the different topics that will shape plasma etching for microelectronics manufacturing of the future.