Scattering of relativistic electrons by a focused laser pulse

The problem of the motion of a classical relativistic electron in a focused high-intensity laser pulse is solved. A new three-dimensional model of the electromagnetic field, which is an exact solution of Maxwell’s equations, is proposed to describe a stationary laser beam. An extension of the model is proposed. This extension describes a laser pulse of finite duration and is an approximate solution of Maxwell’s equations. The equations for the average motion of an electron in the field of a laser pulse, described by our model, are derived assuming weak spatial and temporal nonuniformities of the field. It is shown that, to a first approximation in the parameters of the nonuniformities, the average (ponderomotive) force acting on a particle is described by the gradient of the ponderomotive potential, but it loses its potential character even in second order. It is found that the three-dimensional ponderomotive potential is asymmetric. The trajectories of relativistic electrons moving in a laser field are obtained and the cross sections for scattering of electrons by a stationary laser beam are calculated. It is shown that reflection of electrons from the laser pulse and the surfing effect are present in the model studied. It is found that for certain impact parameters of the incident electrons the asymmetic ponderomotive potential can manifest itself effectively as an attractive potential. It is also shown that even in the case of a symmetric potential the scattering cross section contains singularities, known as rainbow scattering. The results are applicable for fields characterized by large (compared to 1) values of the dimensionless parameter η² = e ²〈E ²〉/m ²ω² and arbitrary electron energies.     

Carrier-envelope phase-dependent electron tunneling in a coupled double-quantum-dot system driven by a few-cycle laser pulse

We theoretically investigate the dependence of the electron tunneling on the carrier-envelope phase of a few-cycle laser pulse in a coupled double-quantum-dot system, and we show that the electron tunneling between coupled quantum dots is very sensitive to the carrier-envelope phase under a change of the parameters of the system. This in turn provides an additional means to measure the carrier-envelope phase of a laser pulse at lower laser intensity regime in the solid-state nanostructure.     

Phase-dependent effects of a few-cycle laser pulse

The Keldysh theory of above-threshold ionization (ATI) is applied to few-cycle laser pulses in order to explore the potential of a recently published new method to measure "carrier-envelope phase difference" phenomena. In this experiment, the carrier-envelope phase difference dependent left-right asymmetry of few-cycle ATI was measured and investigated with a correlation technique. Here, we explore spectral features of the asymmetry, present a theoretical analysis of the experiment, and establish a method to determine the duration of few-cycle pulses whose carrier-envelope phase differences are not controlled.     

Brunel-dominated proton acceleration with a few-cycle laser pulse

Experimental measurements of backward accelerated protons are presented. The beam is produced when an ultrashort (5 fs) laser pulse, delivered by a kHz laser system, with a high temporal contrast (10(8)), interacts with a thick solid target. Under these conditions, proton cutoff energy dependence with laser parameters, such as pulse energy, polarization (from p to s), and pulse duration (from 5 to 500 fs), is studied. Theoretical model and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, in good agreement with a large set of experimental results, indicate that proton acceleration is directly driven by Brunel electrons, in contrast to conventional target normal sheath acceleration that relies on electron thermal pressure.     

Dynamics of molecular alignment steered by a few-cycle terahertz laser pulse

The field-free alignment of molecule ClCN is investigated by using a terahertz few-cycle pulse (THz FCP) based on the time-dependent density matrix theory. It is shown that a high degree of molecular alignment can be obtained by changing the matching number of the THz FCPs in the adiabatic regime and the non-adiabatic regime. The matching number can affect both the maximum value of the alignment and the time at which it is achieved. It is also found that a higher degree of alignment can be achieved by using the THz FCP at lower intensity and there exists an optimal threshold of molecular alignment with the increase of the field amplitude. Also found is the frequency sensitive region in which the degree of maximum alignment can be enhanced greatly by modulating the center frequencies of different THz FCPs. The investigation demonstrates that comparing with a THz single-cycle pulse, a better result of the field-free alignment can be created by a THz FCP at a constant rotational temperature of molecule.     

Characterizing the polarity of a few-cycle infrared laser pulse

We demonstrate the characterization of polarity and carrier-envelope (CE) phase of a linearly polarized few-cycle infrared (IR) laser pulse (12?fs, 1.8???m) using Terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy. Crossed polarizers electro-optic sampling geometry is applied to record temporal waveforms of far field THz emission from air filament driven by the few-cycle IR pulse. The THz waveforms are dependent on the carrier-envelope (CE) phase periodically. We confirm that the THz waveform and the intensity can be used jointly to determine the phase of a few-cycle laser field in laboratory frame.     

Determining the absolute carrier phase of a few-cycle laser pulse

In a strong laser field, electrons tunnel from an atom at a rate determined by the instantaneous field. If the pulse is only a few cycles in duration, the highly nonlinear nature of tunnel ionization ensures that the resultant electron wave packet is primarily formed in less than one period. Measuring the direction of above-threshold-ionization electrons produced by circularly polarized light provides a direct method of measuring the absolute carrier phase of a single pulse. The method is robust, surviving spatial and temporal integration as well as intensity fluctuations.     

Generation of a quasimonoenergetic electron beam using a single laser pulse

The results of experiments are presented for a single laser pulse interaction with a very low density gas target under conditions when the generated wake wave is below the wave-breaking threshold and the laser pulse power is lower than the critical power for relativistic self-focusing. A quasimonoenergetic electron beam is found to be stably generated for various laser pulse intensity values by controlling the acceleration length.     

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system (fine structure levels of rubidium) is investigated numerically. The full three-level Maxwell-Bloch equations without the rotating wave approximation and the standing slowly varying envelope approximation are solved by using a finite-difference time-domain method. It is shown that, when the usual unequal oscillator strengths are considered, self-induced transparency cannot be recovered and higher spectral components can be produced even for small-area pulses.     

Imaging molecular structures by electron diffraction using an intense few-cycle pulse

As an intense few-cycle pulse interacts with an atomic or molecular target, its strong oscillating field may first pull electrons out of the target and subsequently drive them back to scatter on the target. The scattering may occur only a few times or even once during the interaction. This unique property of few-cycle pulses enables one to image ultrafast transient structures of matter by the means of pulse-driven electron diffraction. We demonstrated this phenomenon with K(+)(2) via three-dimensional calculations of the time-dependent Schro dinger equation.     

Spectral broadening of a few-cycle laser pulse propagating in fused quartz

Results of theoretical study of nonlinear propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a fused quartz are presented. With use of the finite-difference technique we have integrated numerically the system of the nonlinear Maxwell equations describing the propagation of a linearly polarized pulse at the central wavelength in the range of zero dispersion (λ₀ = 1.27 μm) and duration 20 fs. The evolution of the laser pulse spectrum is calculated and the dependences of the shift of the spectral peak on both the strength of electric field and medium length are obtained.     

Characterization of relativistic electrons generated by a cone guiding laser pulse

We demonstrated the interaction of a gold cone target with a femto second(fs) laser pulse above the relativistic intensity of 1.37×10 18 μm 2 W/cm 2.Relativistic electrons with energy above 2 MeV were observed.A 25%-40% increase of the electron temperature is achieved compared to the case when a plane gold target is used.The electron temperature increase results from the guiding of the laser beam at the tip and the intense quasistatic magnetic field in the cone geometry.The behavior of the relativistic electrons is verified in our 2D-PIC simulations.     

Isolated ultrashort attosecond pulse generation from a coherent superposition state in a few-cycle chirped laser pulse

We theoretically demonstrate an efficient method for producing an isolated ultrashort attosecond pulse by high-order harmonic generation in an intense few-cycle chirped laser pulse. Our simulation calculations show that the harmonic spectrum reveals an ultrabroad extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum when the initial state is prepared in a coherent superposition of the ground and first excited states. It is also shown that the method can enhance the short quantum path and eliminate the long one, and then an isolated 23-attosecond pulse is produced. By properly adjusting the chirp parameter, a clean single attosecond pulse as short as 11 attoseconds is directly obtained.     

Spatial, temporal and spectral emission characteristics from electron oscillation driven by an intense circularly polarized few-cycle laser pulse

The spatial, temporal and spectral emission characteristics of radiation generated from electron oscillations driven by an intense circularly polarized few-cycle laser pulse have been investigated theoretically and numerically using a single electron model. For a femtosecond driving laser pulse with duration of one optical cycle, the maximal radiation emitted by the electron comprises only one electromagnetic pulse having durations much shorter than the optical cycle and belonging to the attosecond range. It is discovered that the influence of the initial phase on the process of full spatial characteristics of the radiation is apparent for intense few-cycle laser pulse. The characteristics can be used to measure the initial phase of intense circularly polarized few-cycle laser pulse in experiments.     

周期量级脉冲线性Thomson散射特性

利用经典电磁辐射理论研究周期量级线偏振激光脉冲的90°Thomson线性散射。结果表明,脉冲所包含的光周期数越少,散射能谱越宽,谱中心处强度越小;谱宽度与电子相对论因子的平方及入射光脉冲频率成正比;谱强度与归一化光场强度和相对论因子乘积的平方均成正比,载波包络函数使光场中电子运动的时间和空间周期减小;进一步展宽散射能谱,使谱对称性变好,消除散射谱振荡;低于某一频率时,谱强度随载波包络初相的增大而减小,高于此频率时,谱强度随载波包络初相的增大而增大;电子进入光场初相的增大削弱了散射谱的强度。     

Scattering of relativistic electrons by high-power laser light tightly focused

We obtain an approximate solution for the drift and oscillatory components of the motion of relativistic electrons in the field of temporally extended high-power laser light under strong focusing of the light (the size of the focal region is of the order of the light wavelength). This makes it possible to start numerically integrating the equations of electron motion near the focal region. We estimate the impact parameters of the electrons when they are still efficiently accelerated in the focal region. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 1554–1562 (May 1997)     

周期量级脉冲线性Thomson散射特性

 利用经典电磁辐射理论研究周期量级线偏振激光脉冲的90°Thomson线性散射。结果表明,脉冲所包含的光周期数越少,散射能谱越宽,谱中心处强度越小;谱宽度与电子相对论因子的平方及入射光脉冲频率成正比;谱强度与归一化光场强度和相对论因子乘积的平方均成正比,载波包络函数使光场中电子运动的时间和空间周期减小;进一步展宽散射能谱,使谱对称性变好,消除散射谱振荡;低于某一频率时,谱强度随载波包络初相的增大而减小,高于此频率时,谱强度随载波包络初相的增大而增大;电子进入光场初相的增大削弱了散射谱的强度。     

初始相位对周期量级激光脉冲Thomson散射特性的影响

 用电子Thomson散射的经典理论,研究了周期量级激光脉冲作用下电子Thomson散射的特性,讨论了不同激光强度下,激光脉冲的初始相位对电子辐射的空间分布以及特定方向上频谱分布特性的影响。计算表明:对弱激光脉冲,电子辐射的空间分布类似于偶极天线的对称双叶结构,初始相位对电子的辐射几乎没有影响;而对强激光脉冲,电子辐射的空间分布出现了三叶结构,初始相位对电子的辐射影响非常显著。     

周期量级激光脉冲驱动下非次序双电离的三维经典系综模拟

利用三维经典系综模型研究了周期量级激光脉冲驱动的氩原子非次序双电离,所得结果表明,Ar2+离子的纵向动量分布与载波包络相位有很强的依赖关系,随载波包络相位φ的增加,具有不对称双峰结构的离子纵向动量分布重心从负动量转移到正动量,并且φ每改变π时Ar2+离子的纵向动量呈现相反的分布.在重碰撞过程中核与电子之间的库仑势发生变化后,计算得到的Ar2+离子纵向动量分布随载波包络相位的变化与实验结果定量上一致.