Quantum phenomena in high-intensity laser-matter interactions

高强度激光与物质相互作用中的量子现象

• 批准号: EP/S010319/1
• 负责人: Anton Ilderton
• 金额: $ 46.14万
• 依托单位: Plymouth University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FS010319%2F1
• 关键词: Quantum; phenomena; intensity; laser; matter

A new era of high-intensity laser experiments has begun.Recent UK experiments, in which beams of ultra-relativistic electrons were collided with intense laser pulses, have shown that it is possible not only to use intense lasers to probe fundamental physics, but also to generate radiation sources with unique properties, which find applications across the sciences. Such experiments are extremely challenging, and despite recent successes there is disagreement over to what extent quantum effects have been observed. Discrepancies between experimental results and theoretical predictions have been attributed to the numerical models of quantum effects employed in Particle-In-Cell (PIC) codes used to simulate and analyse experiments.A host of new experiments will begin this year, and will be able to probe the transition from classical to quantum physics in intense electromagnetic fields. It is therefore critical that we improve our understanding of theoretical models, and their implementations, in order to ensure that theoretical predictions and analyses keep up with experimental progress.To meet this urgent experimental demand we propose developing existing theory on two fronts.On one front, we will extend existing models to include currently neglected processes (such as absorption and trident pair production) in a systematic way that can be immediately employed by simulators. On the second front, we will analyse a number of quantum effects which cannot be captured by existing numerical models (but which become relevant in e.g. the overlapping field geometries of future facilities, or in dense electron bunches), assess their importance to experimental campaigns, and develop a methodology to implement them numerically, going beyond current models.Doing so requires a team of researchers who are not only experts in the theory of quantum effects in intense laser physics, but who also have the experience required to understand numerical implementation and experimental analyses. This is not a case of benchmarking existing codes, already well-covered in the literature. What is needed, rather, is a "top down", approach which can verify, and improve upon, the models of quantum effects which are used in the codes.Plymouth hosts an established, world-leading research group in the area of intense laser-matter interactions. Staff members are research-active and well-known in the community as experts in the theory of quantum effects in intense laser physics. Furthermore, the Investigators attached to this project are actively involved in experimental efforts, being for example part of the team which recently demonstrated radiation reaction in laser-matter collisions in an experiment at the UK's Central Laser Facility.As such the Investigators have precisely the right skillset to undertake this timely project and deliver new results of import to a wide community of physicists. This will help maintain the UK's world-leading capabilities in the active research area of intense laser-matter interactions.

高强度激光实验的新时代已经开始。英国最近的实验表明，超相对论性电子束与强激光脉冲发生碰撞，不仅可以使用强激光探测基础物理，还可以产生具有独特性质的辐射源，这些辐射源可以在各个科学领域得到应用。这样的实验极具挑战性，尽管最近取得了成功，但在观察到量子效应的程度上存在分歧。实验结果与理论预测之间的差异归因于用于模拟和分析实验的粒子单元（PIC）代码中采用的量子效应数值模型。许多新实验将于今年开始，并且将能够探测强电磁场中从经典物理到量子物理的转变。因此，我们必须提高对理论模型及其实现的理解，以确保理论预测和分析跟上实验进展。为了满足这一迫切的实验需求，我们建议在两个方面发展现有的理论。一方面，我们将扩展现有的模型，以包括目前被忽视的过程（如吸收和三叉戟对生产）的系统方式，可以立即采用模拟器。在第二个方面，我们将分析一些现有数值模型无法捕获的量子效应（但在例如未来设施的重叠场几何形状或密集电子束中变得相关），评估它们对实验活动的重要性，并开发一种方法来数字地实现它们，要做到这一点，需要一个研究团队，他们不仅是强激光物理学量子效应理论的专家，而且还具有理解数值实现和实验分析所需的经验。这不是一个基准现有的代码，已经在文献中很好地涵盖的情况。相反，我们需要的是一种“自上而下”的方法，这种方法可以验证和改进代码中使用的量子效应模型。普利茅斯拥有一个在强激光-物质相互作用领域建立起来的世界领先的研究小组。工作人员是研究活跃，在社区中作为强激光物理学量子效应理论的专家而闻名。此外，该项目的研究人员积极参与实验工作，例如，最近在英国中央激光设施的实验中演示了激光物质碰撞中的辐射反应。因此，研究人员具有正确的技能来开展这一及时的项目，并为广大的物理学家提供新的重要成果。这将有助于保持英国在强激光物质相互作用的活跃研究领域的世界领先能力。

项目成果

Self-absorption of synchrotron radiation in a laser-irradiated plasma

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0044766
• 发表时间: 2020-05
• 期刊: arXiv: Plasma Physics
• 作者: T. Blackburn;A. Macleod;A. Ilderton;B. King;S. Tang;M. Marklund

Classical and quantum double copy of back-reaction

• DOI: 10.1007/jhep09(2020)200
• 发表时间: 2020-05
• 期刊: Journal of High Energy Physics
• 影响因子: 5.4
• 作者: T. Adamo;A. Ilderton

From local to nonlocal: higher fidelity simulations of photon emission in intense laser pulses

• DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ac1bf6
• 发表时间: 2021-03
• 期刊: New Journal of Physics
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: TG Blackburn;A. Macleod;B. King

Conceptual design report for the LUXE experiment

• DOI: 10.1140/epjs/s11734-021-00249-z
• 发表时间: 2021-02
• 期刊: The European Physical Journal Special Topics
• 作者: H. Abramowicz;U. Acosta;M. Altarelli;R. Assmann;Z. Bai;T. Behnke;Y. Benhammou;T. Blackburn

Particle-beam scattering from strong-field QED

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.104.116013
• 发表时间: 2021-10
• 期刊: Physical Review D
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: T. Adamo;A. Ilderton;A. Macleod