Probing new physics in the top sector using quantum information

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum information measures like magic, trace distance, and fidelity can detect new physics in top quark interactions at colliders, showing their potential to distinguish beyond Standard Model effects.

Contribution

It introduces the application of various quantum information measures to collider physics, demonstrating their sensitivity to new physics scenarios modeled by the Standard Model Effective Field Theory.

Findings

Quantum information measures can differentiate Standard Model from new physics.

Different measures are sensitive in various regions of phase space.

Multiple measures enhance the search for beyond Standard Model physics.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that quantitative concepts from quantum information theory can play a role in analysing collider physics, including elucidating new physics. In this paper, we study various QI measures including magic, trace distance and fidelity distance, in generic new physics scenarios modelled by the Standard Model Effective Field Theory. We argue that such measures can indeed show up differences with respect to the pure Standard Model, and we compare our results with similar findings for the concurrence discussed previously in the literature. We examine the relative sensitivity of different measures to new physics in two-dimensional bins of the top pair invariant mass and scattering angle, finding that the concurrence, magic and trace distance each emerge as the best measure in at least some regions of the phase space. This highlights the importance of exploring multiple quantum information measures in the hunt for beyond the Standard Model physics.