Quantum phenomena in high-intensity laser-matter interactions
Lead Research Organisation:
Plymouth University
Department Name: Sch of Computing, Electronics & Maths
Abstract
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.
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.
Planned Impact
Researchers in a broad range of physics disciplines will benefit from the results of this programme, as one of our goals is to improve on existing widely used theoretical and numerical tools.
In terms of impact on research, our project will yield an explicit demonstration of what is and what is not included in current numerical models of intense laser-matter interactions. The results will further delineate the applicability of current methods, and will show us when and, importantly, how they must be improved. This will have an impact on a broad and active community of laser and plasma physicists. As it is critical to the analysis of experiments that theoretical models are well understood, this project will impact experimental collaborations and experiments to be performed on, for example, the UK's Astra-Gemini laser. The close connection of the PIs to active experimental groups in the UK will ensure that the results of the project reach experimentalists, and impact on the analysis of future experiments. (AI is involved in planning experiments with S. Mangles (Imperial) and C. Murphy (York), and BK is involved in planning experiments with G. Gregori (Oxford).)
In terms of impact on applications of intense lasers, the programme will lead to improved understanding of Compton sources, i.e. the generation of high frequency radiation by electrons colliding with laser fields. Moreover, having as a project milestone the inclusion of absorptive processes (such as pair-annihilation) into numerical codes, the programme will potentially develop a new branch of research into exotic gamma sources, generated by the manipulation of pair-plasmas using intense laser pulses. Such sources can be used to study biological samples and hence improve our ability to fight illness and disease, to perform nuclear resonance fluorescence imaging, which has applications in the nuclear reactor market, and is ideal for non-intrusive inspection, for example cargo scanning. Hence the improvements we will make to numerical models, used to interpret experimental results in this area, will have a broad long-term societal impact.
In terms of impact on the UK science base, the active area of intense laser physics will be strengthened by increasing the Host Organisation's research group size and output volume. The UK is at the forefront of high-intensity laser engineering, recently providing GBP 30 million of investiment in the European XFEL and, through the Centre for Advanced Laser Technology Applications (CALTA), providing technology for the Extreme Light Infrastructure and the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields. Due to the involvement of the PIs in experimental campaigns at the CLF, an indirect economic benefit of the proposed research is the further promotion of high-intensity laser physics in the UK, completely in-line with the UK's technological portfolio.
In terms of impact on research, our project will yield an explicit demonstration of what is and what is not included in current numerical models of intense laser-matter interactions. The results will further delineate the applicability of current methods, and will show us when and, importantly, how they must be improved. This will have an impact on a broad and active community of laser and plasma physicists. As it is critical to the analysis of experiments that theoretical models are well understood, this project will impact experimental collaborations and experiments to be performed on, for example, the UK's Astra-Gemini laser. The close connection of the PIs to active experimental groups in the UK will ensure that the results of the project reach experimentalists, and impact on the analysis of future experiments. (AI is involved in planning experiments with S. Mangles (Imperial) and C. Murphy (York), and BK is involved in planning experiments with G. Gregori (Oxford).)
In terms of impact on applications of intense lasers, the programme will lead to improved understanding of Compton sources, i.e. the generation of high frequency radiation by electrons colliding with laser fields. Moreover, having as a project milestone the inclusion of absorptive processes (such as pair-annihilation) into numerical codes, the programme will potentially develop a new branch of research into exotic gamma sources, generated by the manipulation of pair-plasmas using intense laser pulses. Such sources can be used to study biological samples and hence improve our ability to fight illness and disease, to perform nuclear resonance fluorescence imaging, which has applications in the nuclear reactor market, and is ideal for non-intrusive inspection, for example cargo scanning. Hence the improvements we will make to numerical models, used to interpret experimental results in this area, will have a broad long-term societal impact.
In terms of impact on the UK science base, the active area of intense laser physics will be strengthened by increasing the Host Organisation's research group size and output volume. The UK is at the forefront of high-intensity laser engineering, recently providing GBP 30 million of investiment in the European XFEL and, through the Centre for Advanced Laser Technology Applications (CALTA), providing technology for the Extreme Light Infrastructure and the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields. Due to the involvement of the PIs in experimental campaigns at the CLF, an indirect economic benefit of the proposed research is the further promotion of high-intensity laser physics in the UK, completely in-line with the UK's technological portfolio.
Publications
Abramowicz H
(2021)
Conceptual Design Report for the LUXE Experiment
Abramowicz H
(2021)
Conceptual Design Report for the LUXE Experiment
Abramowicz H
(2021)
Conceptual design report for the LUXE experiment
Abramowicz H
(2021)
Conceptual design report for the LUXE experiment
in The European Physical Journal Special Topics
Abramowicz H
(2021)
Conceptual design report for the LUXE experiment
Adamo T
(2020)
Classical and quantum double copy of back-reaction
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Adamo T
(2021)
Particle-beam scattering from strong-field QED
Adamo T
(2021)
Particle-beam scattering from strong-field QED
in Physical Review D
Blackburn T
(2020)
Self-absorption of synchrotron radiation in a laser-irradiated plasma
Blackburn T
(2022)
Higher fidelity simulations of nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair creation in intense laser pulses
in The European Physical Journal C
Blackburn T
(2021)
From local to nonlocal: higher fidelity simulations of photon emission in intense laser pulses
in New Journal of Physics
Blackburn T
(2021)
Self-absorption of synchrotron radiation in a laser-irradiated plasma
in Physics of Plasmas
Borysov O
(2022)
Using the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process to test nonlinear vacuum birefringence
in Physical Review D
Ekman R
(2021)
Exact solutions in radiation reaction and the radiation-free direction
in New Journal of Physics
Heinzl T
(2021)
Classical resummation and breakdown of strong-field QED
Heinzl T
(2021)
Classical Resummation and Breakdown of Strong-Field QED.
in Physical review letters
Heinzl T
(2020)
Locally monochromatic approximation to QED in intense laser fields
in Physical Review A
Hu B
(2020)
Scattering in strong electromagnetic fields: Transverse size effects in time-dependent basis light-front quantization
in Physical Review D
Ilderton A
(2020)
Coherent quantum enhancement of pair production in the null domain
in Physical Review D
Ilderton A
(2019)
Absorption cross section in an intense plane wave background
in Physical Review D
Ilderton A
(2019)
Coherent quantum enhancement of pair production in the null domain
Ilderton A
(2019)
Absorption cross section in an intense plane wave background
Ilderton A
(2020)
Loop spin effects in intense background fields
Ilderton A
(2020)
Toward the observation of interference effects in nonlinear Compton scattering
in Physics Letters B
Ilderton A
(2020)
The analytic structure of amplitudes on backgrounds from gauge invariance and the infra-red
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Ilderton A
(2020)
Loop spin effects in intense background fields
in Physical Review D
Ilderton A
(2019)
Extended locally constant field approximation for nonlinear Compton scattering
in Physical Review A
King B
(2020)
Nonlinear Compton scattering of polarized photons in plane-wave backgrounds
in Physical Review A
King B
(2020)
Uniform locally constant field approximation for photon-seeded pair production
in Physical Review A
King B
(2021)
Interference effects in nonlinear Compton scattering due to pulse envelope
in Physical Review D
Seipt D
(2020)
Spin- and polarization-dependent locally-constant-field-approximation rates for nonlinear Compton and Breit-Wheeler processes
in Physical Review A
Tang S
(2020)
Highly polarised gamma photons from electron-laser collisions
in Physics Letters B
Tang S
(2021)
Pulse envelope effects in nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair creation
in Physical Review D
Tang S
(2019)
One-photon pair annihilation in pulsed plane-wave backgrounds
in Physical Review A
Description | 2022 === Travel funding (extension due to covid) was acknowledged in articles which continued the themes of the grant. 2021 === During 2021 we played a leading role in theory development for upcoming experiments as part of the LUXE consortium [EPJ ST 230, 2445-2560 (2021)], contributing specifically to the accurate simulation of the interaction point physics [New J. of Phys. 23 (8), 085008 (2021); EPJC 82, 1-16 (2022)]". We also established key new results on the "Ritus Narozhny" conjecture [Phys.Rev.Lett. 127 (2021) 061601]. Note that the project was essentially complete by the end of 2020; we produced a wealth of results and made singificant progress on the goals of the project. The project was formally extended into 2021 in the hope that we could use travel money (which was largely unspect due to COVID) to disseminate the results of the project. This proved difficult as the pandemic continued. Toward the end of 2021 when travel was possible, funds were used by AI and BK to meet (following AI's move to another institute) and discuss a new research direction which builds on the work performed during this project. 2020 === We developed a new approximation scheme for QED calculations in intense laser fields, which is more accurate then previously employed schemes (based on the "LCFA") in the parameter regime of upcoming experiments. This was rapidly taken up the community and is used being used to make predicts for the LUXE experiment [Phys.Rev.A 102 (2020) 063110] We identified new signatures of interference effects in electron-laser collisions, which could only be identified because we used improved numerical models, [2012.05920 [hep-ph], to appear in PRD] & [Phys.Lett.B 804 (2020) 135410] We clarified long-standing issues on the definition and properties of electron spin dynamics in laser fields, giving a simple, precise and physically revealing explanation of the fact that, in fact, there is no genuine spin dynamics in plane wave backgrounds [Phys.Rev.D 102 (2020) 7, 076013]. Our work demonstrates that several previous investigations of spin in laser fields are incorrect. Colour-kinematic duality, or `double copy', is a remarkable duality between non-abelian gauge theory and gravity. We explored the extension of both classical and quantum double copy beyond the case of flat backgrounds to nontrivial backgrounds -- this was made possible by applying our knowledge of strong field QED. [JHEP 09 (2020) 200] We identified new structures in scattering amplitudes on background plane waves, as used to model intense lasers, and found relations of these structures to gauge invariance and infra-red physics. [JHEP 04 (2020) 078] 2019 ==== We derived improved numerical approximations which experimentalists can use to improve their modelling and analysis of experiments. [Phys.Rev. A99 (2019) no.4, 042121] We have considered two physical processes which were previously neglected by simulators, and identified the physical regimes in which they will contribute to laser-matter interactions. [Phys.Rev. D100 (2019) no.7, 076002] [Phys.Rev. A100 (2019) no.6, 062119] We have found new signatures of quantum interference and coherent quantum enhancement in laser-matter interactions. These results go beyond all existing semiclassical approximations and reveal new insights and structure into the dynamics of quantum particles in intense laser fields. [Phys.Rev. D101 (2020) no.1, 016006] |
Exploitation Route | The results are already being cited and used by the research community. |
Sectors | Other |
Description | This grant effectively ended several years ago, even if there was an extension to the use of travel funding due to the pandemic. The grant was a huge sucess, generating 24 journal publications, the impact of which on the research community is clear both through the number of citations to the articles and the number of ideas generated which have been picked up by the research community. |
Sector | Other |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Conceptual Design Report of the LUXE experiment |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.02032 |
Description | Member of LUXE consortium, planning future experiments at a new laser facility in DESY and the European XFEL |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1909.00860 |
Description | Visit by project partner |
Organisation | University of Gothenburg |
Country | Sweden |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Plymouth hosted project partner (M Marklund) + Postdoc (T Blackburn) June 5th -- June 11th to work on the project. |
Collaborator Contribution | A Ilderton, B King, and postdocs A MacLeod and S Tang worked togetther with project partner M Marklund and his postdoc on energy absorption in laser-particle collisions. |
Impact | To appear February 2020. |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | EU researchers night |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Participation by AI in FUTURES 2020, "A day in the life of researcher" event. https://futures2020.co.uk/events/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-researcher-eu-corner/ https://futures2020.co.uk/ https://twitter.com/FUTURES_ERN |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://futures2020.co.uk/events/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-researcher-eu-corner/ |
Description | Public engagement through performing arts |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | University of Plymouth (UoP) physicists were consulted during the writing of the play "Fireworks" by Alex Robins. After each regional performance of the play, a UoP physicist was present as a scientific expert during Q&A sessions with the audience (the general public), actors and play-write. Dr. A. Ilderton participated at the Exeter Phoenix performance in January 2020. The audience had many physics-based questions, there was a positive interaction, and many audience members commented afterward that they had enjoyed the experience. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/fireworks/ |
Description | Research-informed outreach videos publicising our EPSRC funded research and our physics degree courses |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Research-informed outreach videos publicising our EPSRC funded research and our physics degree courses |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3NilC5Uc4o |