Fourier Pseudospectral Solution for a 2D Nonlinear Paraxial Envelope Equation of Laser Interactions in Plasmas

We apply a Fourier pseudospectral algorithm to solve a 2D nonlinear paraxial envelope-equation of laser interactions in plasmas. In this algorithm, we first use the second order Strang time-splitting method to split the envelope-equation into a number of equations, next we spatially discrete the filed quantity and its spatial derivatives in these equations in term of Fourier interpolation polynomials (FFT), finally we sequentially integrate the resultant equations by means of a discrete integration method in order to obtain the solution of the envelope-equation. We carry out several numerical tests to illustrate the efficiency and to determine accuracy of the algorithm. In addition, we conduct a number of numerical experiments to examine its performance. The numerical results have shown that the algorithm is highly efficient and sufficiently accurate to solve the 2D envelope-equation, furthermore, it yields an optimal performance in simulating fundamental phenomena in laser interactions in plasmas.

Generation and characterization of millimeter-scale plasmas for the research of laser plasma interactions on Shenguang-Ⅲ prototype

In order to produce millimeter-scale plasmas for the research of laser-plasma interactions （LPIs）, gasbag target is designed and tested on Shenguang-III prototype laser facility. The x-ray pinhole images show that millimeter-scale plasmas are produced with the gasbag. The electron temperature inferred from the stimulated Raman scattering （SRS） spectrum is about 1.6 keV. The SRS spectrum also indicates that the electron density has a fiat region within the duration of 200 ps. The obvious differences between the results of the gasbag and that of the void half hohlraum show the feasibility of the gasbag target in creating millimeter-scale plasmas. The LPIs in these millimeter-scale plasmas may partially mimic those in the ignition condition because the duration of the existence of a flat plasma density is much larger than the growth time of the two main instabilities, i.e., SRS and stimulated Brillouin scattering （SBS）. So we make the conclusion that the gasbag target can be used to research the large-scale LPIs.

Correction of intense laser–plasma interactions by QED vacuum polarization in collision of laser beams

The influence of vacuum polarization effects on the interactions of multiple ultra-intense lasers with plasmas is discussed. The nonlinear paraxial monochromatic model of the interactions has been improved by considering the Heisenberg–Euler Lagrangian density of two laser processes. Comparing the corrections of vacuum polarization effects in the collision of laser beams with one generated by a single intense laser, we find that the former has a higher order of magnitude correction. The laser collision also produces variations in the propagation direction and polarization direction of the lasers propagating in the plasma. In addition, the strong-field quantum electrodynamic(QED) effects can be enhanced by increasing the laser intensity or frequency difference, or by adjusting the incident angles of the two laser beams.

Generation and regulation of electromagnetic pulses generated by femtosecond lasers interacting with multitargets

Ultrashort and powerful laser interactions with a target generate intense wideband electromagnetic pulses(EMPs).In this study,we report EMPs generated by the interactions between petawatt(30 fs,1.4×10^(20) W/cm^(2))femtosecond(fs)lasers with metal flat,plastic flat,and plastic nanowire-array(NWA)targets.Detailed analyses are conducted on the EMPs in terms of their spatial distribution,time and frequency domains,radiation energy,and protection.The results indicate that EMPs from metal targets exhibit larger amplitudes at varying angles than those generated by other types of targets and are enhanced significantly for NWA targets.Using a plastic target holder and increasing the laser focal spot can significantly decrease the radiation energy of the EMPs.Moreover,the composite shielding materials indicate an effective shielding effect against EMPs.The simulation results show that the NWA targets exert a collimating effect on thermal electrons,which directly affects the distribution of EMPs.This study provides guidance for regulating EMPs by controlling the laser focal spot,target parameters,and target rod material and is beneficial for electromagnetic-shielding design.

Divergence angle consideration in energy spread measurement for high-quality relativistic electron beam in laser wakefield acceleration

The thorough exploration of the transverse quality represented by divergence angle has been lacking yet in the energy spread measurement of the relativistic electron beam for laser wakefield acceleration(LWFA). In this work, we fill this gap by numerical simulations based on the experimental data, which indicate that in a C-shape magnet, magnetic field possesses the beam focusing effect, considering that the divergence angle will result in an increase in the full width at half maxima(FWHM) of the electron density distribution in a uniformly isotropic manner, while the length-to-width ratio decreases. This indicates that the energy spread obtained from the electron deflection distance is smaller than the actual value, regardless of the divergence angle. A promising and efficient way to accurately correct the value is presented by considering the divergence angle(for instance, for an electron beam with a length-to-width ratio of 1.12, the energy spread correct from 1.2% to 1.5%), providing a reference for developing the high-quality electron beam source.

Suppression of auto-resonant stimulated Brillouin scattering in supersonic flowing plasmas by different forms of incident lasers

In supersonic flowing plasmas,the auto-resonant behavior of ion acoustic waves driven by stimulated Brillouin backscattering is self-consistently investigated.A nature of absolute instability appears in the evolution of the stimulated Brillouin backscattering.By adopting certain form of incident lights combined by two perpendicular linear polarization lasers or polarization rotation lasers,the absolute instability is suppressed significantly.The suppression of auto-resonant stimulated Brillouin scattering is verified with the fully kinetic Vlasov code.

Self-modulation and anomalous collective scattering of laser produced intense ion beam in plasmas

The collective interaction between intense ion beams and plasmas is studied by simulations and experiments,where an intense proton beam produced by a short pulse laser is injected into a pre-ionized gas.It is found that,depending on its current density,collective effects can significantly alter the propagated ion beam and the stopping power.The quantitative agreement that is found between theories and experiments constitutes the first validation of the collective interaction theory.The effects in the interaction between intense ion beams and background gas plasmas are of importance for the design of laser fusion reactors as well as for beam physics.

Highly efficientγ-ray generation by 10 PW-class lasers irradiating heavy-ion plasmas

10 PW-class lasers irradiating overcritical plasmas in the quantum electrodynamics regime promise to generate ultrabrightγ-ray sources in the laboratory.Here using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations,we report highly efficientγ-ray generation in the parameter regime of 10 PW-class lasers at an intensity level of 10^(23)W cm^(–2)interaction with heavy-ion plasmas which have large-scale preplasmas.The laser-to-γ-ray(>1 MeV)energy conversion efficiency reaches close to 60%with an above 10^(14)γ-photons/pulse.The averageγ-photon energy is about 14 MeV with the highest photon energy exceeding 1 GeV.The high-energyγ-photons are mainly directed in the forward direction.We also find that plane target geometry is efficient enough for high powerγ-ray radiation,which is beneficial for easing the difficulty of complex target manufacturing and alignment in experiments.

Dynamics of laser beams in inhomogeneous electron positron ion plasmas

Nonlinear interaction of laser and electron–positron–ion plasmas is investigated by invoking the variational principle and numerical simulation, in terms of a nonlinear Schrodinger equation with inhomogeneities effect. It is shown that the plasma inhomogeneity has great influence on the laser beam dynamics. The laser beam can be self-trapped, focused, or defocused depending on the inhomogeneity character. The linearly decreasing axial plasma density makes the laser beam defocus, while the linearly increasing axial plasma density results in self-trapping of the beam. The self-focusing of the trapped beam is found in a high-density region. For the Gaussian types of density distribution, the beam field submits nonlinearly oscillating regime. The results provide an efficient way to manipulate the dynamics of laser beam propagating in plasma.

Cross-focusing of two chirped Gaussian laser beams and THz wave generation in plasmas of multi-ion species under a weakly relativistic and ponderomotive regime

The generation of terahertz(THz)waves via the beating of two high-intensity chirped Gaussian lasers in a multi-ion-species plasma is numerically studied by taking into account the weak relativistic and ponderomotive regime of interaction.The coupled differential equations for beamwidth parameters are extracted by introducing the dielectric function of such plasma and using WKB and paraxial ray approximations.The amplitude of THz radiation at beat frequency resulting from the nonlinear current density induced by the beat ponderomotive force of the cross-focusing of beams was obtained.The impacts of the chirp frequency parameter,initial laser intensity and initial ionic species density(specifically,the presence of singly and doubly charged ions)in the plasma on THz generation were discussed.Our numerical results reveal that THz radiation generation strongly depends on the chirp frequency parameter.A specific range of chirp frequencies exists for self-focusing as well as THz generation with a'turning point',where the THz emission reaches its maximum value.The results show that the strength of self-focusing and consequently the generated THz radiation are reduced by increasing the density of doubly charged ionic species in the plasma due to the suppression of the nonlinear effects.

Efficient combination and enhancement of high-power mid-infrared pulses in plasmas

High-power intense optical sources in the mid-to-long wavelength infrared region are very attractive for a wide range of fields from fundamental research to materials science and biology applications.However,there are still significant challenges in extending long-wavelength infrared pulses into the relativistic regime using conventional optical techniques.Here,based upon a new type of plasma-based optical method,we present an efficient scheme capable of combining several high-power long-wavelength infrared laser pulses into one single,more intense pulse,thus bringing the intensity of the output pulse to the relativistic regime.Such intense infrared pulses will open up new possibilities for strong-field physics and ultrafast applications.Furthermore,this is beneficial to understand the underlying physics and nonlinear processes of modulation,propagation and energy transfer of high-power intense laser pulses in plasmas.

Nonlinear mixing-based terahertz emission in inclined rippled density plasmas

We propose to investigate the THz field generation using nonlinear mixing mechanism of laser beat wave with inclined rippled density plasmas.Two laser pulses with frequencies(ω_(1),ω_(2)) and wave vectors(k_(1),k_(2)) co-propagate and resultant laser beat wave forms at beat frequency(ω_(1)-ω_(2)).Laser beat wave imparts a nonlinear force on the ambient electrons and pushes them outward with nonlinear velocity v_(NL).Coupling of induced density perturbation and nonlinear velocity v_(NL)generates nonlinear currents at laser beat frequency that further generates electromagnetic field E_((ω_(1)-ω_(2))) in terahertz(THz)range.In the present scheme,density ripples are introduced at an angle with respect to laser propagation and flat Gaussian index(f) is introduced in laser field profile that transform curved top of Gaussian field envelope into flat top field envelope.The combined effect of flat laser pulses with inclined density ripples in plasmas shows 10-fold enhancement in THz field amplitude when flat-Gaussian index(f) varies from 1 to 4.Also,the THz field intensifies when density ripples inclination increases upto a certain angle and then decreases.

Intense low-noise terahertz generation by relativistic laser irradiating near-critical-density plasma

Low-noise terahertz(THz)radiation over 100 MV/cm generation by a linearly-polarized relativistic laser pulse interacting with a near-critical-density(NCD)plasma slab is studied by theory and particle-in-cell(PIC)simulations.A theoretical model is established to examine the dipole-like radiation emission.The THz radiation is attributed to the singlecycle low-frequency surface current,which is longitudinally constrained by the quasi-equilibrium established by the laser ponderomotive force and the ponderomotively induced electrostatic force.Through theoretical analysis,the spatiotemporal characteristics,polarization property of the THz radiation,and the relation between the radiation strength with the initial parameters of driving laser and plasma are obtained,which are in good consistence with the PIC simulation results.Furthermore,it is found by PIC simulations that the generation of thermal electrons can be suppressed within the appropriate parameter regime,resulting in a clear THz radiation waveform.The appropriate parameter region is given for generating a low-noise intense THz radiation with peak strength reaching 100 MV/cm,which could find potential applications in nonlinear THz physics.

Advances in laser-plasma interactions using intense vortex laser beams

Low-intensity light beams carrying orbital angular momentum(OAM),commonly known as vortex beams,have garnered significant attention due to promising applications in areas ranging from optical trapping to communication.In recent years,there has been a surge in global research exploring the potential of high-intensity vortex laser beams and specifically their interactions with plasmas.This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in this area.Compared with conventional laser beams,intense vortex beams exhibit unique properties such as twisted phase fronts,OAM delivery,hollow intensity distribution,and spatially isolated longitudinal fields.These distinct characteristics give rise to a multitude of rich phenomena,profoundly influencing laser-plasma interactions and offering diverse applications.The paper also discusses future prospects and identifies promising general research areas involving vortex beams.These areas include low-divergence particle acceleration,instability suppression,high-energy photon delivery with OAM,and the generation of strong magnetic fields.With growing scientific interest and application potential,the study of intense vortex lasers is poised for rapid development in the coming years.

Backward Raman amplification in plasmas with chirped wideband pump and seed pulses

Chirped wideband pump and seed pulses are usually considered for backward Raman amplification（BRA） in plasmas to achieve an extremely high-power laser pulse. However, current theoretical models only contain either a chirped pump or a chirped seed. In this paper, modified three-wave coupling equations are proposed for the BRA in the plasmas with both chirped wideband pump and seed. The simulation results can more precisely describe the experiments, such as the Princeton University experiment. The optimized chirp and bandwidth are determined based on the simulation to enhance the output intensity and efficiency.

Brightγ-ray source with large orbital angular momentum from the laser near-criticalplasma interaction

We propose a new laser-plasma-based method to generate brightγ-rays carrying large orbital angular momentum by interacting a circularly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian laser pulse with a near-critical hydrogen plasma conflned in an over-dense solid tube.In the flrst stage of the interaction,it is found via fully relativistic three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations that high-energy helical electron beams with large orbital angular momentum are generated.In the second stage,this electron beam interacts with the laser pulse reflected from the plasma disc behind the solid tube,and helicalγbeams are generated with the same topological structure as the electron beams.The results show that the electrons receive angular momentum from the drive laser,which can be further transferred to theγphotons during the interaction.Theγbeam orbital angular momentum is strongly dependent on the laser topological charge l and laser intensity a_(0),which scales as L_(γ)∝a_(0)~4.A short(duration of 5 fs)isolated helicalγbeam with an angular momentum of-3.3×10^(-14)kg m~2 s^(-1)is generated using the Laguerre–Gaussian laser pulse with l=2.The peak brightness of the helicalγbeam reaches 1.22×10^(24)photons s^(-1)mm^(-2)mrad^(-2)per 0.1%BW(at 10 Me V),and the laser-to-γ-ray angular momentum conversion rate is approximately 2.1%.

Generation of Nonlinear Force Driven Blocks from Skin Layer Interaction of Petawatt-Picosecond Laser Pulses for ICF

The discovery of the essential difference of maximum ion energy for TW-pslaser plasma interaction compared with, the 100 ns laser pulses led to the theory of a skin layermodel where the control of prepulses suppressed the usual relativistic self-focusing. The subsequentgeneration of two nonlinear force driven blocks has been demonstrated experimentally and inextensive numerical studies where one block moves against the laser light and the other block intothe irradiated target. These blocks of nearly solid state density DT plasma correspond to ion beamcurrent densities exceeding 10^(10) A/cm^2 where the ion velocity can be chosen up to highlyrelativistic values. Using the results of the expected ignition of DT fuel by light ion beams, aself-sustained fusion reaction front may be generated even into uncompressed solid DT fuel similarto the Nuckolls-Wood scheme where 10 kJ laser pulses produce 100 MJ fusion energy. This new andsimplified scheme of laser-ICF needs and optimisation of the involved parameters.

Two-stage γ ray emission via ultrahigh intensity laser pulse interaction with a laser wakefield accelerated electron beam

In this study, we investigate the generation of twin γ ray beams in the collision of an ultrahigh intensity laser pulse with a laser wakefield accelerated electron beam using a particle-in-cell simulation. We consider the composed target of a homogeneous underdense preplasma in front of an ultrathin solid foil. The electrons in the preplasma are trapped and accelerated by the wakefield. When the laser pulse is reflected by the thin solid foil, the wakefield accelerated electrons continue to move forward and pass through the foil almost without influence from the reflected laser pulse or foil. Consequently, two groups of γ ray flashes, with tunable time delay and energy, are generated by the wakefield accelerated electron beam interacting with the reflected laser pulse from the foil as well as another counter-propagating petawatt laser pulse behind the foil. Additionally, we study the dependence of the γ photon emission on the preplasma densities, driving laser polarization, and solid foil.

Radiation effects of electrons on multilayer FePS3studied with laser plasma accelerator

Space radiation with inherently broadband spectral flux poses a huge danger to astronauts and electronics on aircraft,but it is hard to simulate such feature with conventional radiation sources. Using a tabletop laser-plasma accelerator, we can reproduce exponential energy particle beams as similar as possible to these in space radiation. We used such an electron beam to study the electron radiation effects on the surface structure and performance of two-dimensional material(Fe PS3).Energetic electron beam led to bulk sample cleavage and damage between areas of uneven thickness. For the Fe PS3sheet sample, electron radiation transformed it from crystalline state to amorphous state, causing the sample surface to rough.The full widths at the half maximum of characteristic Raman peaks became larger, and the intensities of characteristic Raman peaks became weak or even disappeared dramatically under electron radiation. This trend became more obvious for thinner samples, and this phenomenon was attributed to the cleavage of P–P and P–S bonds, destabilizing the bipyramid structure of [P2S6]4-unit. The results are of great significance for testing the maximum allowable radiation dose for the two-dimensional material, implying that Fe PS3cannot withstand such energetic electron radiation without an essential shield.

Photon and positron production by ultrahigh-intensity laser interaction with various plasma foils

The generation ofγphotons and positrons using an ultrahigh-intensity laser pulse interacting with various plasma solid foils is investigated with a series of quantum electrodynamic particlein-cell(PIC)simulations.When ultrahigh-intensity lasers interact with plasma foils,a large amount of the laser energy is converted intoγphoton energy.The simulation results indicate that for a fixed laser intensity with different foil densities,the conversion efficiency of the laser toγphotons and the number of produced photons are highly related to the foil density.We determine the optimal foil density by PIC simulations for high conversion efficiencies as approximately 250 times the critical plasma density,and this result agrees very well with our theoretical assumptions.Four different foil thicknesses are simulated and the effects of foil thickness onγphoton emission and positron production are discussed.The results indicate that optimal foil thickness plays an important role in obtaining the desiredγphoton and positron production according to the foil density and laser intensity.Further,a relation between the laser intensity and conversion efficiency is present for the optimal foil density and thickness.