MURI - MIR

近半个世纪以来，对强场激光与物质相互作用的研究带来了新的基础性发现，并推动了大量的应用。从历史上看，强场物理的发展依赖于激光工程和科学发现之间的共生关系--新的激光使科学和应用成为可能，而新的发现进一步推动了创新的光学工程。尽管非常成功，但目前的激光技术已经将大多数科学研究限制在可见光和近红外(NIR)波长的狭窄光谱窗口。这现在被认为是一个相应的限制，因为在过去的十年里，很明显，所有的SF现象在较长的中红外(MIR)波长下驱动时都会受益。目前，我们正站在发现的十字路口，通往新的MIR技术的道路可以再次改变我们对它的理解和它的应用。事实上，正如这项提议所提出的那样，增加波长比增加强度更快、更稳健地通向新的物理。MURI MIR团队将抓住这一机遇，开展广泛深入的研究计划，旨在推进MIR SF相互作用研究的实验、理论和技术。此外，我们的计划是有意识地将这些研究与国防部在遥感、定向能源、桌面相干短波长光源、致密粒子加速器和MIR激光技术中的相关应用直接联系起来。我们的团队包括五个相互关联的推进领域。其中四项重点是SF MIR科学中的基波电离、空气中的成丝、相干谐波辐射的产生和MIR驱动的离子和电子激光-等离子体加速器。主题的连续性以简单系统中的基础研究为基础，并跨推力领域演变为更复杂的领域。认识到过去的教训，第五个推力致力于开发新的MIR激光技术，以推进我们的科学推力。MURI Mir团队是由美国5所大学的6名合作PI和英国帝国理工学院的6名合作PI组成的联盟。该团队还与世界领先的实验室建立了关键的合作联盟。总体而言，大西洋两岸在实验和理论、互补专业知识、能力和教育价值方面取得了平衡。团队成员是和平号物理领域公认的领导者，因此为该计划带来了能力和最先进的和平号设施。

For nearly a half century, investigations of a strong field laser-matter interaction have resulted in new fundamental discoveries and have fueled numerous applications. Historically, the advancement of strong field (SF) physics depended upon a symbiotic relationship between laser engineering and scientific discovery - new lasers enable science & applications while new discovery further drives innovative optical engineering. Although highly successful, present day laser technology has restricted the majority of SF studies to a narrow spectral window of visible & near infrared (NIR) wavelengths. This is now recognized as a consequential limitation, because over the last decade it has become clear that all SF phenomena benefit when they are driven at longer mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths. At the present time we stand at a crossroad for discovery, where the road toward novel MIR technology can again transform SF physics, both our understanding of it and its applications. In fact, as presented in this proposal, increasing the wavelength is a faster, more robust path towards new physics than even increasing the intensity. The MURI MIR team will seize this opportunity with a broad in-depth research program aimed at advancing experiments, theory and technology for MIR SF interaction studies. In addition, our program is consciously constructed to directly connect these studies to DoD relevant applications in remote sensing, directed energy, tabletop coherent short wavelength light sources, compact particle accelerators and MIR laser technology.Our team encompasses five linked thrust areas. Four of these thrusts focus on SF MIR science in fundamental ionization, filamentation in air, generation of coherent harmonic radiation and MIR driven ion & electron laser-plasma accelerators. The continuity of topics is anchored by foundational studies in simple systems and evolves across thrust areas to greater complexity. Recognizing lessons from the past, the fifth thrust is devoted to the development of novel MIR laser technology to advance our science thrust. The MURI MIR team is an alliance between 6 co-PIs in 5 US universities and 6 co-PIs at Imperial College in the UK. The team also forms key collaborative alliances with world leading laboratories. Overall there is balance in experiment & theory, complementary expertise, capabilities and educational value on both sides of the Atlantic. The team members are recognized leaders in MIR physics and as such bring competency & state-of-the-art MIR facilities to the program.