In this paper, we make a detailed discussion on the $$\eta $$
η
and $$\eta ^\prime $$
η
′
-meson leading-twist light-cone distribution amplitude $$\phi _{2;\eta ^{(\prime )}}(u,\mu )$$
ϕ
2
;
η
(
′
)
(
u
,
μ
)
by using the QCD sum rules approach under the background field theory. Taking both the non-perturbative condensates up to dimension-six and the next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections to the perturbative part, its first three moments $$\langle \xi ^n_{2;\eta ^{(\prime )}}\rangle |_{\mu _0} $$
⟨
ξ
2
;
η
(
′
)
n
⟩
|
μ
0
with $$n = (2, 4, 6)$$
n
=
(
2
,
4
,
6
)
can be determined, where the initial scale $$\mu _0$$
μ
0
is set as the usual choice of 1 GeV. Numerically, we obtain $$\langle \xi _{2;\eta }^2\rangle |_{\mu _0} =0.231_{-0.013}^{+0.010}$$
⟨
ξ
2
;
η
2
⟩
|
μ
0
=
0
.
231
-
0.013
+
0.010
, $$\langle \xi _{2;\eta }^4 \rangle |_{\mu _0} =0.109_{ - 0.007}^{ + 0.007}$$
⟨
ξ
2
;
η
4
⟩
|
μ
0
=
0
.
109
-
0.007
+
0.007
, and $$\langle \xi _{2;\eta }^6 \rangle |_{\mu _0} =0.066_{-0.006}^{+0.006}$$
⟨
ξ
2
;
η
6
⟩
|
μ
0
=
0
.
066
-
0.006
+
0.006
for $$\eta $$
η
-meson, $$\langle \xi _{2;\eta '}^2\rangle |_{\mu _0} =0.211_{-0.017}^{+0.015}$$
⟨
ξ
2
;
η
′
2
⟩
|
μ
0
=
0
.
211
-
0.017
+
0.015
, $$\langle \xi _{2;\eta '}^4 \rangle |_{\mu _0} =0.093_{ - 0.009}^{ + 0.009}$$
⟨
ξ
2
;
η
′
4
⟩
|
μ
0
=
0
.
093
-
0.009
+
0.009
, and $$\langle \xi _{2;\eta '}^6 \rangle |_{\mu _0} =0.054_{-0.008}^{+0.008}$$
⟨
ξ
2
;
η
′
6
⟩
|
μ
0
=
0
.
054
-
0.008
+
0.008
for $$\eta '$$
η
′
-meson. Next, we calculate the $$D_s\rightarrow \eta ^{(\prime )}$$
D
s
→
η
(
′
)
transition form factors (TFFs) $$f^{\eta ^{(\prime )}}_{+}(q^2)$$
f
+
η
(
′
)
(
q
2
)
within QCD light-cone sum rules approach up to NLO level. The values at large recoil region are $$f^{\eta }_+(0) = 0.476_{-0.036}^{+0.040}$$
f
+
η
(
0
)
=
0
.
476
-
0.036
+
0.040
and $$f^{\eta '}_+(0) = 0.544_{-0.042}^{+0.046}$$
f
+
η
′
(
0
)
=
0
.
544
-
0.042
+
0.046
. After extrapolating TFFs to the allowable physical regions within the series expansion, we obtain the branching fractions of the semi-leptonic decay, i.e. $$D_s^+\rightarrow \eta ^{(\prime )}\ell ^+ \nu _\ell $$
D
s
+
→
η
(
′
)
ℓ
+
ν
ℓ
, i.e. $${{\mathcal {B}}}(D_s^+ \rightarrow \eta ^{(\prime )} e^+\nu _e)=2.346_{-0.331}^{+0.418}(0.792_{-0.118}^{+0.141})\times 10^{-2}$$
B
(
D
s
+
→
η
(
′
)
e
+
ν
e
)
=
2
.
346
-
0.331
+
0.418
(
0
.
792
-
0.118
+
0.141
)
×
10
-
2
and $${{\mathcal {B}}}(D_s^+ \rightarrow \eta ^{(\prime )} \mu ^+\nu _\mu )=2.320_{-0.327}^{+0.413}(0.773_{-0.115}^{+0.138})\times 10^{-2}$$
B
(
D
s
+
→
η
(
′
)
μ
+
ν
μ
)
=
2
.
320
-
0.327
+
0.413
(
0
.
773
-
0.115
+
0.138
)
×
10
-
2
for $$\ell = (e, \mu )$$
ℓ
=
(
e
,
μ
)
channels respectively. And in addition to that, the mixing angle for $$\eta -\eta '$$
η
-
η
′
with $$\varphi $$
φ
and ratio for the different decay channels $${{\mathcal {R}}}_{\eta '/\eta }^\ell $$
R
η
′
/
η
ℓ
are given, which show good agreement with the recent BESIII measurements.