1
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Timmis RJL, Paddock RW, Ouatu I, Lee J, Howard S, Atonga E, Ruskov RT, Martin H, Wang RHW, Aboushelbaya R, Leyen MWVD, Gumbrell E, Norreys PA. Attosecond and nano-Coulomb electron bunches via the Zero Vector Potential mechanism. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10805. [PMID: 38734711 PMCID: PMC11088705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61041-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The commissioning of multi-petawatt class laser facilities around the world is gathering pace. One of the primary motivations for these investments is the acceleration of high-quality, low-emittance electron bunches. Here we explore the interaction of a high-intensity femtosecond laser pulse with a mass-limited dense target to produce MeV attosecond electron bunches in transmission and confirm with three-dimensional simulation that such bunches have low emittance and nano-Coulomb charge. We then perform a large parameter scan from non-relativistic laser intensities to the laser-QED regime and from the critical plasma density to beyond solid density to demonstrate that the electron bunch energies and the laser pulse energy absorption into the plasma can be quantitatively described via the Zero Vector Potential mechanism. These results have wide-ranging implications for future particle accelerator science and associated technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J L Timmis
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK.
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK.
| | - R W Paddock
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - I Ouatu
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - J Lee
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - S Howard
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - E Atonga
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R T Ruskov
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - H Martin
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R H W Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R Aboushelbaya
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | | | - E Gumbrell
- Plasma Physics Department, AWE, Aldermaston, RG7 4PR, UK
| | - P A Norreys
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK
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2
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Zaïm N, Sainte-Marie A, Fedeli L, Bartoli P, Huebl A, Leblanc A, Vay JL, Vincenti H. Light-Matter Interaction near the Schwinger Limit Using Tightly Focused Doppler-Boosted Lasers. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:175002. [PMID: 38728726 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.175002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Strong-field quantum electrodynamics (SF QED) is a burgeoning research topic dealing with electromagnetic fields comparable to the Schwinger field (≈1.32×10^{18} V/m). While most past and proposed experiments rely on reaching this field in the rest frame of relativistic particles, the Schwinger limit could also be approached in the laboratory frame by focusing to its diffraction limit the light reflected by a plasma mirror irradiated by a multipetawatt laser. We explore the interaction between such intense light and matter with particle-in-cell simulations. We find that the collision with a relativistic electron beam would enable the study of the nonperturbative regime of SF QED, while the interaction with a solid target leads to a profusion of SF QED effects that retroact on the interaction. In both cases, relativistic attosecond pair jets with high densities are formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neïl Zaïm
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, LIDYL, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Luca Fedeli
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, LIDYL, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pierre Bartoli
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, LIDYL, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Axel Huebl
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Adrien Leblanc
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vay
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Henri Vincenti
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, LIDYL, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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3
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Werle CM, Braun C, Eichner T, Hülsenbusch T, Palmer G, Maier AR. Out-of-plane multilayer-dielectric-grating compressor for ultrafast Ti:sapphire pulses. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:37437-37451. [PMID: 38017872 DOI: 10.1364/oe.501093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Extreme heat loads on optics, in particular the final pulse compression gratings, are a major hurdle to overcome in the ongoing push towards high average power (kW) and high repetition rate (kHz) operation of terawatt-class Ti:sapphire lasers. Multilayer dielectric (MLD) diffraction gratings have been suggested as a potential alternative to traditionally gold-coated compressor gratings, which are plagued by high energy absorption in the top gold layer. However, to support the required bandwidth (and ultimately the desired pulse duration) with MLD gratings, the gratings have to be operated in an out-of-plane geometry near the Littrow angle. Here, we report on the design of an MLD-based out-of-plane test compressor and a matching custom stretcher. We present a full characterization of the MLD compressor, focusing on its spectral transmission and the significance of laser pulse polarization in the out-of-plane geometry. To demonstrate compression of 40 μJ pulses centered at 800 nm wavelength to 26 fs pulse duration, we use the compressor with an MLD and gold grating configuration, and fully characterize the compressed pulses. Extrapolating our results indicates that MLD-grating-based out-of-plane compressors can support near-transform-limited pulses with sub-30 fs duration and good quality, demonstrating the viability of this concept for kW-level ultrafast Ti:sapphire laser systems.
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Kim YH, Kim H, Park SC, Kwon Y, Yeom K, Cho W, Kwon T, Yun H, Sung JH, Lee SK, Luu TT, Nam CH, Kim KT. High-harmonic generation from a flat liquid-sheet plasma mirror. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2328. [PMID: 37087465 PMCID: PMC10122666 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38087-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023] Open
Abstract
High-harmonic radiation can be generated when an ultra-intense laser beam is reflected from an over-dense plasma, known as a plasma mirror. It is considered a promising technique for generating intense attosecond pulses in the extreme ultraviolet and X-ray wavelength ranges. However, a solid target used for the formation of the over-dense plasma is completely damaged by the interaction. Thus, it is challenging to use a solid target for applications such as time-resolved studies and attosecond streaking experiments that require a large amount of data. Here we demonstrate that high-harmonic radiation can be continuously generated from a liquid plasma mirror in both the coherent wake emission and relativistic oscillating mirror regimes. These results will pave the way for the development of bright, stable, and high-repetition-rate attosecond light sources, which can greatly benefit the study of ultrafast laser-matter interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Hwan Kim
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Kim
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Cheol Park
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjin Kwon
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyunghoon Yeom
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Wosik Cho
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeyong Kwon
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeok Yun
- Advanced Photonics Research Institute, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Hee Sung
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Advanced Photonics Research Institute, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Ku Lee
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Advanced Photonics Research Institute, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Tran Trung Luu
- Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, SAR Hong Kong, China
| | - Chang Hee Nam
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Taec Kim
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
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Bae LJ, Kang GB, Kim M, Lee GS, Sohn JH, Nam CH, Cho BI. Diagnosis of ultrafast surface dynamics of thin foil targets irradiated by intense laser pulses. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:5767-5776. [PMID: 36823849 DOI: 10.1364/oe.474759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The temporal modulation of an electron bunch train accelerated from a foil target irradiated by an intense laser pulse is studied by measuring the coherent transition radiation (CTR) from the rear surface of a target. We experimentally obtained CTR spectra from a 1 µm thick foil target irradiated at a maximum intensity of 6.5 × 1019 W/cm2. Spectral redshifts of the emitted radiation corresponding to increases in laser intensity were observed. These measurements were compared with the theoretical calculation of CTR spectra considering ultrafast surface dynamics, such as plasma surface oscillation and relativistically induced transparency. Plasma surface oscillations induce a spectral redshift, while relativistic transparency causes a spectral blueshift. Both effects are required to find reasonable agreement with the experiment over the entire range of laser intensities.
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Kohlfürst C, Ahmadiniaz N, Oertel J, Schützhold R. Sauter-Schwinger Effect for Colliding Laser Pulses. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 129:241801. [PMID: 36563271 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.129.241801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Via a combination of analytical and numerical methods, we study electron-positron pair creation by the electromagnetic field A(t,r)=[f(ct-x)+f(ct+x)]e_{y} of two colliding laser pulses. Employing a generalized Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approach, we find that the pair creation rate along the symmetry plane x=0 (where one would expect the maximum contribution) displays the same exponential dependence as for a purely time-dependent electric field A(t)=2f(ct)e_{y}. The prefactor in front of this exponential does also contain corrections due to focusing or defocusing effects induced by the spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field. We compare our analytical results to numerical simulations using the Dirac-Heisenberg-Wigner method and find good agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kohlfürst
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Naser Ahmadiniaz
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Johannes Oertel
- Fakultät für Physik, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 1, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Schützhold
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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7
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Sundström A, Grech M, Pusztai I, Riconda C. Stimulated-Raman-scattering amplification of attosecond XUV pulses with pulse-train pumps and application to local in-depth plasma-density measurement. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:045208. [PMID: 36397490 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.045208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We present a scheme for amplifying an extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) seed isolated attosecond pulse via stimulated Raman scattering of a pulse-train pump. At sufficient seed and pump intensity, the amplification is nonlinear, and the amplitude of the seed pulse can reach that of the pump, one order of magnitude higher than the initial seed amplitude. In the linear amplification regime, we find that the spectral signature of the pump pulse train is imprinted on the spectrum of the amplified seed pulse. Since the spectral signature is imprinted with its frequency downshifted by the plasma frequency, it is possible to deduce the electron density in the region of interaction. This region can be of micrometer length scale longitudinally. By varying the delay between the seed and the pump, this scheme provides a local electron-density measurement inside solid-density plasmas that cannot be probed with optical frequencies, with micrometer resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréas Sundström
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mickael Grech
- LULI, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, CEA, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, F-91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - István Pusztai
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Caterina Riconda
- LULI, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, CEA, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, F-75252 Paris, France
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8
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Keser AC, Lyanda-Geller Y, Sushkov OP. Nonlinear Quantum Electrodynamics in Dirac Materials. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:066402. [PMID: 35213194 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.066402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Classical electromagnetism is linear. However, fields can polarize the vacuum Dirac sea, causing quantum nonlinear electromagnetic phenomena, e.g., scattering and splitting of photons, that occur only in very strong fields found in neutron stars or heavy ion colliders. We show that strong nonlinearity arises in Dirac materials at much lower fields ∼1 T, allowing us to explore the nonperturbative, extremely high field limit of quantum electrodynamics in solids. We explain recent experiments in a unified framework and predict a new class of nonlinear magnetoelectric effects, including a magnetic enhancement of dielectric constant of insulators and a strong electric modulation of magnetization. We propose experiments and discuss the applications in novel materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydın Cem Keser
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Yuli Lyanda-Geller
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Oleg P Sushkov
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Low-Energy Electronics Technologies, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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