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L. Gao

Publications and source records attributed to L. Gao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Excitation of the lower-hybrid drift instability in the outflow of electron-only magnetic reconnection

We report experimental evidence for the lower-hybrid drift instability in the current sheet normal direction of electron-only magnetic reconnection. In our laser-driven capacitor-coil experiment, the system size ($\sim$3 ion skin depths) places it in the electron-only regime. Yet, Thomson scattering reveals out-of-plane electron drift oscillations at the local lower-hybrid frequency, with kinetic energy density reaching $\sim$18% of the local magnetic energy density. Linear theory with the measured parameters predicts more than ten e-folding times of growth, indicating that the instability reaches the nonlinear regime within the measurement window. Supported by particle-in-cell simulations, these results demonstrate the importance of ions in the dissipation and energy transfer in electron-only reconnection where their significance has not been previously recognized.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2026

Observation of Self-Similarity in the Magnetic Fields Generated by the Ablative Nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

Magnetic fields generated by the nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor growth of laser-seeded three-dimensional broadband perturbations were measured in laser-accelerated planar targets using ultrafast proton radiography. The experimental data show self-similar behavior in the growing cellular magnetic field structures. These observations are consistent with a bubble competition and merger model that predicts the time evolution of the number and size of the bubbles, linking the cellular magnetic field structures with the Rayleigh-Taylor bubble and spike growth.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2026

Mega-Gauss Plasma Jet Creation Using a Ring of Laser Beams

Using 20 OMEGA laser beams at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, to irradiate a flat plastic target in a hollow ring configuration, we created supersonic cylindrical stable plasma jets with self-generated megagauss magnetic fields extending out to > 4 mm. These well-collimated magnetized jets possess a number of distinct and novel properties that will allow us to study the dynamics, physical processes and scaling properties of astrophysical jets not feasible with other laboratory settings. The dimensionless parameters of these laboratory jets fall in the same regime as those of YSO jets. They will also provide new versatile laser-based platforms to study magnetized shocks, shear flows and other plasma processes under controllable conditions.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2026

Significantly enhanced detectability of dark photons with a steady-state excited microwave cavity

The resonant cavity system has been widely used to search for the electromagnetic response of dark photons, although its achievable detection sensitivity remains at a relatively low level. In this letter, we propose a feasible approach to significantly improve its achievable detection sensitivity by enhancing the detectability of the dark photon-photon dynamical effect, assisted with the steady-state excitation of the target mode in the cavity. Unlike in almost all the previous detection schemes, wherein where the cavity modes are kept in vacuum (and thus only the second-order energy signals can be detected), here the pre-excited steady-state field in the cavity can be used to achieve the coherent amplification of the dark photon response signal, thereby obtaining detectable first-order (rather than the conventional second-order) energy response signals of dark photons. Although the phase of the dark photon field and thus its electromagnetic response signal is stochastic, the amplitude of such a first-order energy response power signal can still be extracted by using mature IQ demodulation technology. As a consequence, we argue that, even considering the influence of the shot noise of the pre-excited steady-state field, the achievable detection sensitivity of this in-situ enhancement detectability, based on the steady-state excitation signal of the target mode, is still at least one order of magnitude higher than those of the current resonant cavity experiments with the same Q-quality factors. Based on existing microwave cavity and weak signal demodulation detection technologies, the feasibility of such a significantly enhanced detectability scheme is also discussed.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2025

Hybrid Superscattering Driven by Toroidal Dipole

The dynamic toroidal dipole is a unique radiation source beyond standard multipoles. Since its first demonstration 15 years ago, it has attracted growing theoretical and experimental interest. Research mainly aims to enhance its weak electromagnetic coupling to free space. Here we report on a surprising finding that the toroidal dipole can, in fact, be engaged in the enhancement of electromagnetic scattering per se driving the so-called superscattering the regime of anomalously strong light scattering where the total cross-section of the effect exceeds the fundamental single-channel limit. We introduce a new paradigm of hybrid superscattering enabled by the toroidal dipole, which we implement with a dielectric scatterer of a simple geometry, and demonstrate for the first time that two complementary mechanisms of superscattering the Friedrich-Wintgen mechanism and resonance overlap can act synergistically to yield the substantially enhanced effect. Using coupled-dipole theory, full-wave numerical modeling and coupled-mode theory, we identify and quantify the dominant multipolar contributions and show that the normalized scattering cross-section exceeds the dipole limit due to a toroidal dipole-magnetic quadrupole interplay. These findings are supported by experimental measurements in the GHz frequency range using a dimer of ceramic cubes, which confirm both the spectral and spatial features of toroidal superscattering. Our results open a new powerful route to engineering strong light-matter interaction via peculiar toroidal modes (never observed before) with potential applications in toroidal superscattering metamaterials and metasurfaces, photonic devices, and sensors.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2025

Robust direction-dependent gain-calibration of beam-modelling errors far from the target field

Many astronomical questions require deep, wide-field observations at low radio frequencies. Phased arrays like LOFAR and SKA-low are designed for this, but have inherently unstable element gains, leading to time, frequency and direction-dependent gain errors. Precise direction-dependent calibration of observations is therefore key to reaching the highest possible dynamic range. Many tools for direction-dependent calibration utilise sky and beam models to infer gains. However, these calibration tools struggle with precision calibration for relatively bright (e.g. A-team) sources far from the beam centre. Therefore, the point-spread-function of these sources can potentially obscure a faint signal of interest. We show that, and why, the assumption of a smooth gain solution per station fails for realistic radio interferometers, and how this affects gain-calibration results. Subsequently, we introduce an improvement for smooth spectral gain constraints for direction-dependent gain-calibration algorithms, in which the level of regularisation is weighted by the expected station response to the sky model. We test this method using direction-dependent calibration method DDECal and physically-motivated beam modelling errors for LOFAR-HBA stations. The new method outperforms the standard method for various calibration settings near nulls in the beam, and matches the standard inverse-variance-weighted method's performance for the remainder of the data. The proposed method is especially effective for short baselines, both in visibility and image space. Improved direction-dependent gain-calibration is critical for future high-precision SKA-low observations, where higher sensitivity, increased antenna beam complexity, and mutual coupling call for better off-axis source subtraction, which may not be achieved through improved beam models alone.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2024

Study of magnetic reconnection at low-$\beta$ using laser-powered capacitor coils

Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous fundamental process in space and astrophysical plasmas that rapidly converts magnetic energy into some combination of flow energy, thermal energy, and non-thermal energetic particles. Over the past decade, a new experimental platform has been developed to study magnetic reconnection using strong coil currents powered by high power lasers at low plasma beta, typical conditions under which reconnection is energetically important in astrophysics. KJ-class lasers were used to drive parallel currents to reconnect MG-level magnetic fields in a quasi-axisymmetric geometry, similar to the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment or MRX, and thus this platform is named micro-MRX. This presentation summarizes two major findings from micro-MRX: direct measurement of accelerated electrons and observation of ion acoustic waves during anti-parallel reconnection. The angular dependence of the measured electron energy spectrum and the resulting accelerated energies, supported by particle-in-cell simulations, indicate that direct acceleration by the out-of-plane reconnection electric field is at work. Furthermore, a sudden onset of ion acoustic bursts has been measured by collective Thomson scattering in the exhaust of magnetic reconnection, followed by electron acoustic bursts with electron heating and bulk acceleration. These results demonstrate that the micro-MRX platform offers a novel and unique approach to study magnetic reconnection in the laboratory in addition to the capabilities provided by traditional magnetized plasma experiments such as MRX and the upcoming FLARE (Facility for Laboratory Reconnection experiments). Future approaches to study other particle acceleration mechanisms and ion acoustic waves from magnetic reconnection are also discussed.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2023

SKA Science Data Challenge 2: analysis and results

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) will explore the radio sky to new depths in order to conduct transformational science. SKAO data products made available to astronomers will be correspondingly large and complex, requiring the application of advanced analysis techniques to extract key science findings. To this end, SKAO is conducting a series of Science Data Challenges, each designed to familiarise the scientific community with SKAO data and to drive the development of new analysis techniques. We present the results from Science Data Challenge 2 (SDC2), which invited participants to find and characterise 233245 neutral hydrogen (Hi) sources in a simulated data product representing a 2000~h SKA MID spectral line observation from redshifts 0.25 to 0.5. Through the generous support of eight international supercomputing facilities, participants were able to undertake the Challenge using dedicated computational resources. Alongside the main challenge, `reproducibility awards' were made in recognition of those pipelines which demonstrated Open Science best practice. The Challenge saw over 100 participants develop a range of new and existing techniques, with results that highlight the strengths of multidisciplinary and collaborative effort. The winning strategy -- which combined predictions from two independent machine learning techniques to yield a 20 percent improvement in overall performance -- underscores one of the main Challenge outcomes: that of method complementarity. It is likely that the combination of methods in a so-called ensemble approach will be key to exploiting very large astronomical datasets.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2021

Measuring magnetic flux suppression in high-power laser-plasma interactions

Biermann battery magnetic field generation driven by high power laser-solid interactions is explored in experiments performed with the OMEGA EP laser system. Proton deflectometry captures changes to the strength, spatial profile, and temporal dynamics of the self-generated magnetic fields as the target material or laser intensity is varied. Measurements of the magnetic flux during the interaction are used to help validate extended magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. Results suggest that kinetic effects cause suppression of the Biermann battery mechanism in laser-plasma interactions relevant to both direct and indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion. Experiments also find that more magnetic flux is generated as the target atomic number is increased, which is counter to a standard MHD understanding.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2020

Major Scientific Challenges and Opportunities in Understanding Magnetic Reconnection and Related Explosive Phenomena in Solar and Heliospheric Plasmas

Magnetic reconnection underlies many explosive phenomena in the heliosphere and in laboratory plasmas. The new research capabilities in theory/simulations, observations, and laboratory experiments provide the opportunity to solve the grand scientific challenges summarized in this whitepaper. Success will require enhanced and sustained investments from relevant funding agencies, increased interagency/international partnerships, and close collaborations of the solar, heliospheric, and laboratory plasma communities. These investments will deliver transformative progress in understanding magnetic reconnection and related explosive phenomena including space weather events.

physics.space-ph↗
arXiv2018

Numerical Simulation of magnetized jet creation using a hollow ring of laser beams

Three dimensional FLASH magneto-hydrodynamics(MHD) modeling is carried out to interpret the OMEGA laser experiments of strongly magnetized, highly collimated jets driven by a ring of 20 OMEGA beams. The predicted optical Thomson scattering spectra and proton images are in good agreement with a subset of the experimental data. Magnetic fields generated via the Biermann battery term are amplified at the boundary between the core and the surrounding of the jet. The simulation predicts multiple axially aligned magnetic flux ropes with alternating poloidal component. Future applications of the hollow ring configuration in laboratory astrophysics are discussed.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2017

Fano-enhanced pulling and pushing optical force on active plasmonic nanoparticles

We demonstrate tunable pulling and pushing optical forces on plasmonic nanostructures around Fano resonance. The plasmonic nanostructure containing a spherical core with optical gain and a metallic shell shows much larger optical pulling force than a pure gain sphere. One can obtain large field enhancement and giant pulling force at the emerged quadrupole mode. The introduction of optical pump compensate the dissipative loss from metal shell, thus enable the strong coupling between a narrow quadrupole mode and a board dipole mode, giving rise to Fano resonance. The giant negative forces origin from the reversal of electric field at Fano resonance, which lead to pulling force on bound currents and charges. Meanwhile, the separation of the Lorentz force helps to reveal the nature of the pulling forces in gain system. We have shown that by applying the Lorentz force density formula, it is possible to obtain the correct value of the force inside our complex inhomogenous structure made up of dispersive and lossy metamaterial irrespective of the electromagnetic momentum density. Our results provide a practical way to manipulate nanoparticles and give deep insight into light-matter interaction.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2017

Tunable optical bistability and tristability of nonlinear graphene-wrapped dielectric nanoparticles

Based on full-wave scattering theory with self-consistent mean field approximation, we study the optical multi-stability of graphene-wrapped dielectric nanoparticles. We demonstrate that the optical bistability (OB) of the graphene-wrapped nanoparticle exist in both near-field and far-field spectra, and show the optical multi-stability arising from the contributions of higher-order terms of the incident external field. Moreover, both the optical stable region and the switching threshold values can be tuned by changing either the Fermi level or the size of the nanoparticle. Our results promise the graphene-wrapped dielectric nanoparticle a candidate of multi-state optical switching, optical memories and relevant optoelectronic devices.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2017

Tunable optical bistability of graphene-wrapped dielectric cylinders

We theoretically study the role of nonlinear surface plasmoms on the optical bistability of graphene-wrapped dielectric cylinders, within the framework of both full-wave scattering theory and the quasistatic limit. Typical hysteresis curves are observed in both near-field and far-field spectra. Moreover, we demonstrate that introducing the full wave theory results in another bistable behavior with a high applied electromagnetic field, suggesting a more explicit way in analyzing the unstable behavior of the graphene-wrapped dielectric cylinder. Furthermore, optical stable region and the switching threshold values are proved to be tunable by changing either the size, permittivity of the nanocylinder or the chemical potential of graphene, promising the graphene-wrapped dielectric cylinder a candidate for all-optical switching and nano-memories.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2016

A Reconfigurable FIR Filter with Memristor-Based Weights

We report on experimental demonstration of a mixed-signal 6-tap finite-impulse response (FIR) filter in which weights are implemented with titanium dioxide memristive devices. In the proposed design weight of a tap is stored with a relatively high precision in a memristive device that can be configured in field. Such approach enables efficient implementation of the most critical operation of an FIR filter, i.e. multiplication of the input signal with the tap weights and summation of the products from taps, in analog domain. As a result, the proposed design, when implemented with fully integrated hybrid CMOS/memristor circuit, is expected to be much more compact and energy efficient as compared to the state-of-the-art approaches.

cs.ET↗
arXiv2015

Non-Maxwellian electron distributions resulting from direct laser acceleration in near-critical plasmas

The irradiation of few nm thick targets by a finite-contrast high-intensity short-pulse laser results in a strong pre-expansion of these targets at the arrival time of the main pulse. The targets decompress to near and lower than critical densities plasmas extending over few micrometers, i.e. multiple wavelengths. The interaction of the main pulse with such a highly localized but inhomogeneous target leads to the generation of a short channel and further self-focusing of the laser beam. Experiments at the GHOST laser system at UT Austin using such targets measured non-Maxwellian, peaked electron distribution with large bunch charge and high electron density in the laser propagation direction. These results are reproduced in 2D PIC simulations using the EPOCH code, identifying Direct Laser Acceleration (DLA) as the responsible mechanism. This is the first time that DLA has been observed to produce peaked spectra as opposed to broad, maxwellian spectra observed in earlier experiments. This high-density electrons have potential applications as injector beams for a further wakefield acceleration stage as well as for pump-probe applications.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2013

Attenuation length measurements of liquid scintillator with LabVIEW and reliability evaluation of the device

The attenuation length measuring device was constructed by using oscilloscope and LabVIEW for signal acquisition and processing. The performance of the device has been tested with a variety of ways, the test results show that the set-up has a good stability and high precision (sigma/mean reached 0.4 percent). Besides, the accuracy of the measurement system will decrease by about 17 percent if a filter is used. The attenuation length of gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator (Gd-LS) was measured as 15.10 plus or minus 0.35 m where Gd-LS was heavily used in Daya Bay Neutrino Experiment. In addition, one method based on the Beer-Lambert law was proposed to investigate the reliability of the measurement device, the R-square reached 0.9995. Moreover, three purification methods for Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) production were compared in the experiment.

physics.ins-det↗