The simplest realization of the inverse seesaw mechanism in a $SU(3)_C \otimes SU(3)_L \otimes U(1)_X$ gauge theory offers striking flavor correlations between rare charged lepton flavor violating decays and the measured neutrino oscillations parameters. The predictions follow from the gauge structure itself without the need for any flavor symmetry. Such tight complementarity between charged lepton flavor violation and oscillations renders the scenario strictly testable.
The observation of a charged-lepton flavor violating process would be a definite sign for physics beyond the Standard Model, but would actually only prove that one particular linear combination of lepton numbers is violated. We categorize lepton-flavor-violating processes by their quantum numbers and show how their discovery can be interpreted model independently, studying in particular which processes are required to establish that the entire flavor group is broken. We also comment on total lepton number, seeing as lepton number violation practically implies lepton flavor violation as well.
We report on the recent results of searches for lepton-flavor-violating tau decays as well as lepton-number-violating B decays with the world-highest data samples accumulated at the Belle.
Implications of a simple model for the mass generation of leptons are studied, in particular for the upcoming long-baseline neutrino experiments. The flavor mixing angles are large (nearly maximal). The probability for the long-baseline ν_μ\leftrightarrow ν_e oscillation is predicted to be about 1%.
Flavor violating processes in the lepton sector have highly suppressed branching ratios in the standard model. Thus, observation of lepton flavor violation (LFV) constitutes a clear indication of physics beyond the standard model (BSM). We review new physics searches in the processes that violate the conservation of lepton (muon) flavor by two units with muonia and muonium--antimuonium oscillations.
We present a model for calculating charged-lepton mixing matrices. These matrices are an essential ingredient for predicting lepton flavor-violating rates in the lepton number nonuniversal models recently proposed to explain anomalies in B-meson decays. The model is based on work on "constrained flavor breaking" by Appelquist, Bai and Piai relating the charged-lepton mass matrix, M_l, to those for the up and down-type quarks, M_{u,d}. We use our recent model of lepton nonuniversality to illustrate the magnitudes of flavor-violating B-decay rates that might be expected. Decays with mu tau final…
We study the lepton flavor violating process, $e+ T \to τ+T'$, at a few GeV. This process can be studied by experiments directing GeV scale electron or positron beams on internal or fixed targets. We study the effects of some low energy lepton flavor violating interactions on this process. We study the sensitivities of this process on these low energy lepton flavor violating interactions and compare them to the sensitivities of lepton flavor violating $τ$ decay processes. Comparing with $τ$ decay processes, this process provides another way to study the lepton flavor violating effects with $e-…
Neutrino masses and mixings have important implications for models of fermion masses, and, most directly, for the charged lepton sector. We consider supersymmetric Abelian flavor models, where neutrino mass parameters are related to those of charged leptons and sleptons. We show that processes such as τto μγ, μto eγand μ-e conversion provide interesting probes. In particular, some existing models are excluded by current bounds, while many others predict rates within reach of proposed near future experiments. We also construct models in which the predicted rates for charged lepton flavor violat…
Lepton Flavor Violating (LFV) processes are clear signals of physics beyond the Standard Model. We investigate the possibility of measuring this kind of processes at present and foreseeable future muon-electron colliders, taking into account present day bounds from existing experiments. As a model of new physics we consider a Z' boson with a $U'(1)$ gauge symmetry and generic couplings. Processes that violate lepton flavor by two units seem to be particularly promising.
We investigate collider signatures of standard model extensions featuring vector-like leptons and a flavorful scalar sector. Such a framework arises naturally within asymptotically safe model building, which tames the UV behavior of the standard model towards the Planck scale and beyond. We focus on values of Yukawa couplings and masses which allow to explain the present data on the muon and electron anomalous magnetic moments. Using a CMS search based on $77.4 \, \rm{fb}^{-1}$ at the $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV LHC we find that flavorful vector-like leptons are excluded for masses below around $300$ Ge…
In the coming years, experiments underway will increase the sensitivity to charged lepton flavor violation by four orders of magnitude. These experiments will stringently probe weak scale physics. I review the status of global symmetries in the standard model and present several well-motivated models that predict observable lepton flavor violation. Finally, I describe what we might learn from future experimental results, whether positive or null.
Most extensions of the Standard Model lepton sector predict large lepton flavor violating rates. Given the promising experimental perspectives for lepton flavor violation in the next few years, this generic expectation might offer a powerful indirect probe to look for new physics. In this review we will cover several aspects of lepton flavor violation in supersymmetric models beyond the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. In particular, we will concentrate on three different scenarios: high-scale and low-scale seesaw models as well as models with R-parity violation. We will see that in some…
A recent proposal for explaining discrepancies in angular observables in the rare decay B --> K*mu+mu- with a gauged L_mu - L_tau current carried with it the prediction of lepton flavor universality violation in related B-meson decays. This prediction gained empirical support with a subsequent hint for lepton flavor universality violation in the B --> K l+l- decay by LHCb. In this short paper we fully quantify the prediction including the associated uncertainties. We also provide new predictions for a variety of additional observables sensitive to lepton flavor universality violation in B-meso…
Non-Abelian discrete symmetries provide an interesting opportunity to address the flavor puzzle in the lepton sector. However, the number of currently viable models based on such symmetries is rather large. High-precision measurements of the leptonic mixing parameters by future neutrino experiments, including ESSnuSB, T2HK, DUNE, and JUNO, will be crucial to test such models. We show that the complementarity among these experiments offers a powerful tool for narrowing down this broad class of lepton flavor models.
New physics scenarios beyond the Standard Model (SM) for neutrino mass mechanism often necessitate the existence of a neutral scalar $H$ and/or doubly-charged scalar $H^{\pm\pm}$, which couple to the SM charged leptons in a flavor violating way, while evading all existing constraints. Such scalars could be effectively produced at future lepton colliders like CEPC, ILC, FCC-ee and CLIC, either on-shell or off-shell, and induce striking charged lepton flavor violating (LFV) signals. We find that a large parameter space of the scalar masses and the LFV couplings can be probed at lepton colliders,…
We introduce the program SuSeFLAV for computing supersymmetric mass spectra with flavor violation in various supersymmetric breaking scenarios with/without seesaw mechanism. A short user guide summarizing the compilation, executables and the input files is provided.
Many new physics scenarios beyond the Standard Model often necessitate the existence of a (light) neutral scalar $H$, which might couple to the charged leptons in a flavor violating way, while evading all existing constraints. We show that such scalars could be effectively produced at future lepton colliders, either on-shell or off-shell depending on their mass, and induce lepton flavor violating (LFV) signals, i.e. $e^+ e^- \to \ell_α^\pm \ell_β^\mp (+H)$ with $α\neq β$. We find that a large parameter space of the scalar mass and the LFV couplings can be probed, well beyond the current low-en…
We present here two concrete examples of models where a sub-TeV scale breaking of their respective $\mathcal{T}_{13}$ and $A_5$ flavor symmetries is able to account for the recently observed discrepancy in the muon anomalous magnetic moment, $(g-2)_μ$. Similarities in the flavor structures of the charged-lepton Yukawa matrix and dipole matrix yielding $(g-2)_μ$ give rise to strong constraints on low-scale flavor models when bounds from lepton flavor violation (LFV) are imposed. These constraints place stringent limits on the off-diagonal Yukawa structure, suggesting a mostly (quasi-)diagonal t…
In this work productions of charged and doubly charged scalars and their lepton flavor violating collider signals in the framework of littlest Higgs model at LHC are studied. In the allowed parameter region of the littlest Higgs model, the production rates of the scalars of littlest Higgs model via $pp \to ϕ^{++}ϕ^{-}$, $pp \to ϕ^+ϕ^-$ and $pp \to ϕ^{++}ϕ^{--}$ processes are calculated. We obtained that charged and doubly charged scalar pairs can be produced at LHC . Considering the possible lepton flavor violating decays of charged scalars found in literature, final state analysis is done. Th…
New sub-GeV vector bosons with couplings to muons but not electrons have been discussed in order to explain the muon's magnetic moment, the gap of high-energy neutrinos in IceCube or the proton radius puzzle. If such a light Z' not only violates lepton universality but also lepton flavor, as expected for example from the recent hint for $h\toμτ$ at CMS, the two-body decay mode $τ\to μZ'$ opens up and for $M_{Z'} < 2 m_μ$ gives better constraints than $τ\to 3μ$ already with 20-year-old ARGUS limits. We discuss the general prospects and motivation of light vector bosons with lepton-flavor-violat…
$SU(2)_L$-invariance links charged dilepton and dineutrino couplings. Phenomenological implications are worked out for flavor changing neutral currents involving strange, charm, beauty and top quark transitions in a model-independent way. We put forward novel tests of lepton universality and lepton flavor conservation in $|Δc|= |Δu|=1$ and $|Δb|= |Δq|=1$, $q=d,s$, transitions suitable for the experiments Belle II and BES III. Single top production plus dileptons uniquely probes semileptonic four-fermion $|Δt|= |Δq'|=1$, $q'=u,c$, couplings and further study at the LHC is encouraged. Tests with…
We show that one can explain the neutral and charged anomalies in B-meson decays in the minimal theory for quark-lepton unification.The implications for flavor violating processes are discussed in detail. Strikingly, experimental observations suggest that the unification of quarks and leptons could be realized below the ${\cal O}(10^2)$ TeV scale.
In the standard model (SM), lepton flavor violating (LFV) Higgs decay is absent at renormalizable level and thus it is a good probe to new physics. In this article we study a type of new physics that could lead to large LFV Higgs decay, i.e., a lepton-flavored dark matter (DM) model which is specified by a Majorana DM and scalar lepton mediators. Different from other similar models with similar setup, we introduce both left-handed and right-handed scalar leptons. They allow large LFV Higgs decay and thus may explain the tentative Br$(h\raτμ)\sim1\%$ experimental results from the LHC. In partic…
Models of minimal lepton flavor violation where the seesaw scale is higher than the relevant flavor scale predict that all lepton flavor violation is proportional to the charged lepton Yukawa matrix. If extra vector-like leptons are within the reach of the LHC, it will be possible to test the resulting predictions in ATLAS/CMS.
We discuss the impact of fermion mass matrices on some lepton number violating processes, namely baryogenesis via leptogenesis and neutrinoless double beta decay, and on some lepton flavor violating processes, namely radiative lepton decays in supersymmetric seesaw models.
We extend the notion of Minimal Flavor Violation to the lepton sector. We introduce a symmetry principle which allows us to express lepton flavor violation in the charged lepton sector in terms of neutrino masses and mixing angles. We explore the dependence of the rates for flavor changing radiative charged lepton decays (ell(i) -> ell(j) + gamma) and mu-to-e conversion in nuclei on the scales for total lepton number violation, lepton flavor violation and the neutrino masses and mixing angles. Measurable rates are obtained when the scale for total lepton number violation is much larger than th…
In this talk, I will present the status of lepton flavor physics in composite Higgs models with partial compositeness in the light of recent data in the lepton sector. I will consider anarchic flavor setups, scenarios with flavor symmetries, and minimal incarnations of the see-saw mechanism that naturally predict non-negligible lepton compositeness. The focus will be on lepton flavor violating processes, dipole moments, and on probes of lepton flavor universality, all providing stringent tests of partial compositeness. The expected size of effects in the different approaches to lepton flavor a…
We show that in supersymmetric models with explicit flavor lepton number violation due to soft supersymmetry breaking terms there must be flavor lepton number violation in slepton decays. We propose to look for flavor lepton number violation in righthanded selectron and smuon decays. For selectron and smuon lighter than 80 Gev flavor lepton number violation in slepton decays could be discovered at LEP2 provided the mixing betwen selectron and smuon is not small. We also estimate NLC discovery potential of the lepton flavor number violation in slepton decays.
The observation of charged lepton flavor violation is a clear sign of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). In this work, we investigate the sensitivity of future lepton colliders to charged lepton flavor violation via on-shell production of bileptons, and compare their sensitivity with current constraints and future sensitivities of low-energy experiments. Bileptons couple to two charged leptons with possibly different flavors and are obtained by expanding the general SM gauge invariant Lagrangians with or without lepton number conservation. We find that future lepton colliders will provide…
Dark, chiral fermions carrying lepton flavor quantum numbers are natural candidates for freeze-in. Small couplings with the Standard Model fermions of the order of lepton Yukawas are `automatic' in the limit of Minimal Flavor Violation. In the absence of total lepton number violating interactions, particles with certain representations under the flavor group remain absolutely stable. For masses in the GeV-TeV range, the simplest model with three flavors, leads to signals at future direct detection experiments like DARWIN. Interestingly, freeze-in with a smaller flavor group such as $SU(2)$ is …
The experimental status of charged lepton flavor violation searches is briefly reviewed, with particular emphasis on the three classical searches involving muon transisions: $μ\to e γ$, $μ\to e$ conversion and $μ\to 3e$.
We show that in supersymmetric models with explicit flavor lepton number violation due to soft supersymmetry breaking mass terms there could be detectable flavor lepton number violation in slepton decays. We estimate LHC discovery potential of the lepton flavor number violation in slepton decays.
Now the bounds on the lepton-flavor violating (LFV) decay modes of tau lepton are being improved by the Belle experiment in the KEK B factory. In this paper the LFV decay of tau lepton is discussed in the supersymmetric seesaw model, using the current neutrino oscillation data.
I discuss different theories of leptonic flavor and their capability of describing the features of the lepton sector, namely charged lepton masses, neutrino masses, lepton mixing angles and leptonic (low and high energy) CP phases. In particular, I show examples of theories with an abelian flavor symmetry G_f, with a non-abelian G_f as well as theories with non-abelian G_f and CP.
We propose a new mechanism to explain neutrino masses with lepton number conservation, in which the Dirac neutrino masses are generated at the two-loop level involving a dark matter candidate. In this model, branching ratios of lepton flavor violating decays of the Higgs boson can be much larger than those of lepton flavor violating decays of charged leptons. If lepton flavor violating decays of the Higgs boson are observed at future collider experiments without detecting lepton flavor violating decays of charged leptons, most of the models previously proposed for tiny neutrino masses are excl…
We study the supersymmetric model with the A4 lepton flavor symmetry, in particular soft supersymmetry breaking terms, which are predicted from the A4 lepton flavor symmetry. We evaluate soft slepton masses and A-terms within the framework of supergravity theory. Constraints due to experiments of flavor changing neutral current processes are examined.
We study the radiative lepton flavor violating l_i -> l_jγdecays in the two Higgs doublet model, respecting the Randall Sundrum scenario and estimate the contributions of the KK modes of left (right) handed charged lepton doublets (singlets) on the branching ratios. We observe that the branching ratios are sensitive to the contributions of the charged lepton KK modes.
Large mixing parameters of neutrino mass eigenstates in the neutrino flavor eigenstates are determined, and interpreted as closely related to the neutrino and charged lepton mass-ratio patterns. The three known seemingly different charged lepton and quasi-degenerate neutrino deviation-from-extreme hierarchies are shown to be three particular manifestations of one unifying quadratic hierarchy-rule in lepton flavor physics.
We analyze four-lepton contact interactions that lead to lepton flavor violating processes, with violation of individual family lepton number but total lepton number conserved. In an effective Lagrangian framework, the assumption of gauge invariance leads to relations among branching ratios and cross sections of lepton flavor violating processes. In this paper, we work out how to use these relations systematically. We also study the consequences of loop-induced processes.
We systematically analyze the correlations between the various leptonic and hadronic flavor violating processes arising in SUSY Grand Unified Theories. Using the GUT-symmetric relations between the soft SUSY breaking parameters, we assess the impact of hadronic and leptonic flavor observables on the SUSY sources of flavor violation.
Due to the smallness of the lepton Yukawa couplings, higher-dimensional operators can give a significant contribution to the lepton masses. In this case, the lepton mass matrix and the matrix of lepton-Higgs couplings are misaligned leading to lepton flavor violation (LFV) mediated by the Standard Model Higgs boson. We derive model-independent bounds on the Higgs flavor violating couplings and quantify LFV in decays of leptons and electric dipole moments for a class of lepton-Higgs operators contributing to lepton masses. We find significant Higgs-mediated LFV effects at both 1-loop and 2-loop…
In a generic supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model, there will be lepton flavor violation at a neutral gaugino vertex due to misalignment between the lepton Yukawa couplings and the slepton soft masses. Sleptons produced at the LHC through the cascade decays of squarks and gluinos can give a sizable number of events with 4 leptons. This channel could give a clean signature of supersymmetric lepton flavor violation under conditions which are identified.
The study for lepton flavor violation combined with the neutrino oscillation may provide more information about the lepton flavor structure of the grand unified theory. In this paper, we study two lepton flavor violation processes, $τ\to μγ$ and $Z\to τμ$, in the context of supersymmetric SO(10) grand unified models. We find the two processes are both of phenomenological interest. In particular the latter may be important in some supersymmetric parameter space where the former is suppressed. Thus, Z-dacay may offer another chance for looking for lepton flavor violation.
Studies of lepton-flavor violation in strangeness-changing ($|ΔS|=1$) transitions have a~long tradition in the kaon sector where they provide some of the strongest limits on physics beyond the standard model. Recent hints of violation of lepton-flavor universality in $B$-meson decays have revived interest in lepton-flavor violation as the two phenomena appear simultaneously in many extensions of the standard model. At the same time, the LHCb experiment has produced new results for the hyperon process $Σ^+\to pμ^+μ^-$ and may be in a position to study other rare hyperon decay modes. With this i…
The field of lepton flavor violation will live an era of unprecedented developments in the near future, with dedicated experiments in different fronts. The observation of a flavor violating process involving charged leptons would be a clear evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model, thus motivating the great effort in this direction. Furthermore, in case a positive signal is found, a proper theoretical understanding of the lepton flavor anatomy of a given model would become necessary. Here I briefly review the current situation, emphasizing the most relevant theoretical and phenomenologica…
The observation of lepton flavor violation indicates new physics beyond the Standard Model. Lepton colliders are ideal facilities to probe charged lepton flavor violation (CLFV) signals induced by new physics at high energy. In this work we perform a comprehensive study of the sensitivity of future lepton colliders to charged lepton flavor violation. We consider the most general renormalizable Lagrangian coupling two leptons to new bosonic particles, involving both $ΔL=0$ and $ΔL=2$ interactions. The CLFV processes are introduced by the exchange of off-shell new particles at tree-level. We fin…
We discuss charged lepton flavor violation in supersymmetric models with extended leptonic sectors at low energies. Contrary to the usual high-scale realizations of the seesaw mechanism, these non-minimal supersymmetric models have new superfields and/or interactions at the supersymmetric scale. As a consequence of this, the resulting lepton flavor violating phenomenology may be very different from that of minimal models.
Supposing only Lorentz and the gauge invariances of the Lagrangian, we derive energy and angular distributions for $τ^\pm \to μ^\pm μ^\pm μ^\mp$ lepton flavor violating decay process. Using these results, we discuss methods to determine the parameters associated with the lepton flavor violating interactions.
We study the lepton flavor violating $μ^- \to e^{-}2γ$ decay induced by the mediation of heavy leptons such as the excited and fourth generation leptons. We have examined the effects of these leptons in the $μ^- \to e^{-}2γ$ decay. We have found that branching ratio of this decay is very sensitive to excited and fourth generation leptons. Furthermore, we have obtained the bounds on model parameters by using the current experimental limit of this decay.
We explore scalar dark matter that is part of a lepton flavor triplet satisfying symmetry requirements under the hypothesis of minimal flavor violation. Beyond the standard model, the theory contains in addition three right-handed neutrinos that participate in the seesaw mechanism for light neutrino mass generation. The dark-matter candidate couples to standard-model particles via Higgs-portal renormalizable interactions as well as to leptons through dimension-six operators, all of which have minimal flavor violation built-in. We consider restrictions on the new scalars from the Higgs boson me…
