Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:14:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 4811188 bytes, checksum: e6a9d4d69f963d42f294d99b19a7c9fb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Dark Matter (DM) is a key piece for our understanding of the universe evolution. Its existence has been confirmed by gravitational effects on the known matter, and we do not know its constitution just yet. The assumption that DM is composed of particles demands an extension of the Standard Model of Elementary Particles (SM). There are many experiments searching for neutral, stable, weakly interacting particles so called WIMPs, but no conclusive positive signal has been observed so far. That being said, we propose a Majorana fermion to be our DM candidate in one of the simplest minimal extensions of the SM, which adds to the scalar sector a neutral scalar that mixes to the Higgs boson. Further, we study another model which supplements the former by adding a charged scalar, which mediates interactions between the DM particle and leptons. In both models, we compute the relic density, the scattering cross section off nucleon (Direct Detection), and its annihilation rate in Standard Model particles (Indirect Detection) using the numerical package micrOMEGAs. In conclusion, we interestingly find that such models have regions of the parameter space yielding the right abundance while compatible with direct and indirect detection limits. Lastly, we investigate the possibility having the Majoron risen in our extensions as dark radiation in the light of the recent CMB spectrum analyses. / A Matéria Escura (ME) é uma peça fundamental para nosso entendimento sobre a evolução do universo. Sua existência foi confirmada pelos efeitos gravitacionais que exerce sobre a matéria que conhecemos e até hoje não sabemos sua constituição. Assumir que ela seja constituída de partículas implica na necessidade de estender o Modelo Padrão das Partículas Elementares (MP). Há vários experimentos buscando partículas neutras, estáveis e pouco interagentes conhecidas como WIMPs, mas até agora nenhum sinal positivo é conclusivo. Em vista disso, propomos um férmion de Majorana como candidato à ME em uma das extensões mais simples do MP, adicionando ao setor escalar um escalar neutro singleto que se mistura com o bóson de Higgs. Em seguida, estudamos outro modelo que acrescenta ao anterior um escalar carregado singleto mediando interações entre as partículas de ME e os léptons. Nos dois modelos, computamos a abundância relíquia, a seção de choque de espalhamento com nucleons (detecção direta) e a taxa de aniquilação de ME em partículas do MP (detecção indireta) usando o pacote numérico micrOMEGAs. Em conclusão, mostramos que esses modelos têm uma interessante região de parâmetros que fornece a abundância relíquia correta estando de acordo com os limites das detecções direta e indireta. Finalmente, investigamos a possibilidade de o majoron que aparece em nossas extensões ser radiação escura, à luz de recentes análises do espectro da radiação CMB.

<p dir="ltr">The limitations of the traditional von Neumann computing architecture, particularly evident in the slowdown of Moore's law, have spurred the development of alternative domain-specific computing paradigms. This dissertation explores novel materials-physics based solutions for two promising alternatives: quantum computing and probabilistic computing, with a specific focus on leveraging magnetic spin textures and their unique properties. We demonstrate that magnetic spin textures, with their inherent topology and chirality, offer distinctive advantages in addressing key challenges in both computing paradigms. These textures' ability to couple with various degrees of freedom, such as electrical, thermal, mechanical, and optical, makes them particularly suitable for hybrid device implementations. Our work presents four contributions to the field.</p><p dir="ltr">First, we propose a novel approach of using skyrmions --- topologically protected rigid-object like spin textures --- to nucleate and braid Majorana modes in topological superconductor-magnetic multilayer heterostructures. We show analytically and numerically that skyrmion--vortex bound pairs can be braided in experimentally relevant timescales. Inspired by circuit quantum electrodynamics methods, we propose a novel readout scheme based on the dispersive coupling between vortex confinement states and Majorana bound states. This work paves the way for experimentally demonstrating the non-Abelian statistics of Majorana bound states, which might be a crucial step towards the development of fault-tolerant topological quantum computers.</p><p dir="ltr">Second, we study thermal relaxation mechanisms and timescales of spin-split chiral antiferromagnets. The class of spin-split antiferromagnets, including altermagnets, have recently emerged as excellent candidates for ultra-fast and low-energy spintronics applications. Due the lack of dipolar order, they are unaffected by stray fields. However, the spin-split bands still offer electrical control and readout of these antiferromagnets unlike the conventional antiferromagnets. While a lot of promising phenomena in these materials has already been experimentally demonstrated, thermal relaxation mechanisms of such magnets remain unexplored. Using reaction rate theories and statistical physics tools, we study the thermal dynamics of chiral antiferromagnets. We show that these materials thermally relax at ultra-fast picosecond-order timescales. Further, by building on the analogy between XY magnets and current biased Josephson junctions, we propose a novel approach to electrically tune the thermal barrier in chiral antiferromagnets. Although such chiral antiferromagnets may not be suitable for non-volatile memory type of applications, they emerge as promising candidates for the building blocks of probabilistic computers.</p><p dir="ltr">We then turn our attention to the strongly correlated quantum system of quantum spin liquids. We show that spin textures exchange coupled to a Kitaev spin liquid (KSL) can induce emergent gauge fields on the Majorana fermions in the spin liquid. These emergent gauge fields may trap zero energy modes if they are able to thread a net flux through the KSL. We derive analytical expressions for the gauge fields in the presence of spin textures and outline the conditions to obtain a net flux. Zero energy Majorana fermion modes trapped on such spin textures may eventually be used for fault tolerant quantum computing.</p><p dir="ltr">Finally, in the last project, we bring the quantum and probabilistic computing paradigms together by proposing a quantum two level system as a sensor for the building blocks of a probabilistic computer. we show that quantum spin defects such as Nitrogen vacancy centers (NV) can be used as novel probes for characterizing probabilistic bits. We show that various NV sensing protocols can be leveraged to create a complete picture of this nascent magnet based probabilistic bits including their energy barrier and attempt times.</p><p dir="ltr">Our findings suggest that magnetic spin textures, particularly their topological and chiral properties, could provide crucial solutions to current challenges in alternative computing platforms. This work bridges the gap between materials physics, device physics and the applications in alternative computing platforms.</p>