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Pei-Lun He

Publications and source records attributed to Pei-Lun He.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Attosecond Access to the Quantum Noise of Light

Bright squeezed light has entered strong-field atomic physics, creating an immediate need to characterize the quantum field delivered to the target on subcycle timescales. Here we show that attosecond streaking maps the coherent displacement and phase-sensitive covariance of a displaced squeezed field onto distinct harmonics: the mean photoelectron momentum follows an $ω$-periodic shift of the spectral center, whereas the momentum variance exhibits a $2ω$-periodic breathing. A Feynman--Vernon formulation represents Gaussian quantum light by stochastic vector-potential trajectories, enabling Coulomb-resolved TDSE simulations with a finite XUV gate and without explicit photon-state propagation. A coherent-state reference calibrates the streaking phase and variance background, enabling retrieval of the coherent amplitude and phase together with the squeezed-noise amplitude and squeezing phase. This establishes attosecond streaking as an in situ, gas-phase diagnostic of bright squeezed light.

quant-ph

Anomalous radiation pressure in strong-field ionization driven by quantum light

We show that in strong-field ionization driven by bright squeezed vacuum, the mean longitudinal photoelectron momentum scales with the mean incident intensity $I$ as $I^{2/3}$, rather than linearly as under coherent-light driving. This anomalous scaling originates from a field-amplitude saddle-point structure: nonlinear tunneling selects two dominant field amplitudes of equal magnitude and opposite sign from the broad quantum fluctuations. Tracing over the final photon state erases their relative-phase information, leaving their common magnitude to determine the field-dependent longitudinal momentum shift and its $I^{2/3}$ scaling. Photon-number resolution instead preserves this coherence, producing parity-dependent modulations of the longitudinal momentum transfer through time-domain double-slit interference between two field pathways separated by half a cycle. These results establish longitudinal momentum transfer as a distinct observable in strong-field quantum optics that encodes both the photon statistics and the field coherence of intense quantum light.

quant-ph

Orbit-resolved spin holography: role of Coulomb focusing in target-dependent polarization

Strong-field photoelectron holography encodes ultrafast electron dynamics through momentum-space interference. However, the orbit-resolved origin of spider-like spin fringes and the mechanism underlying their target dependence remain unclear. Here, we resolve both issues by analyzing photoelectron spin textures generated during tunneling ionization. We use the Coulomb quantum-orbit strong-field approximation, benchmarked against time-dependent Schrödinger equation simulations for $\mathrm{He^+}$ and Xe, to separate orbital-channel and quantum-orbit contributions. Spider-like fringes arise from interference between $p$-orbital ionization channels with different magnetic quantum numbers within an individual orbit class and therefore do not require interorbit interference. The observable polarization along these fringes, however, depends on the balance among orbit-class contributions. The decomposition associates the opposite first-leg polarizations of $\mathrm{He^+}$ and Xe with different relative weights of laser-deflected and forward-scattered trajectories, consistent with target-dependent Coulomb focusing. Photoelectron spin textures thus complement momentum distributions as probes of Coulomb-driven strong-field dynamics.

physics.atom-ph

Spin-Resolved Decay of Axion-Like Particles into Electron--Positron Pairs in Strong Electromagnetic Fields

We investigate spin-resolved decay of an axion-like particle (ALP) into an electron--positron pair in an intense laser field. Using the Baier--Katkov quasiclassical operator formalism and the locally constant field approximation, we derive a compact analytic rate retaining finite ALP-mass effects and the lepton spin degrees of freedom. In the massless limit, the spin-summed rate has the same weak- and strong-field asymptotic scalings as the corresponding photon-induced pair-creation rate, while the pseudoscalar coupling induces distinct spin-resolved channels and spin correlations. A finite ALP mass reorganizes the spectrum across the vacuum threshold, producing purely field-induced pair creation below threshold and spin-dependent oscillatory modulations above threshold through the coherent interplay of vacuum and field-assisted contributions. The entanglement of the produced pair reflects the dominant production mechanism. Near the vacuum threshold in weak fields, the pair is nearly maximally entangled and singlet-like. Away from threshold, the reduced spin state becomes triplet-like, retaining a concurrence of \(1/2\) when strong-field production dominates but becoming separable when vacuum decay dominates. These results identify spin-resolved spectra and entanglement as signatures of finite-mass and threshold effects in strong-field ALP searches.

hep-ph

Nonlinear Breit-Wheeler Process Driven by Intense Squeezed Light

The nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process is a fundamental phenomenon of strong-field quantum electrodynamics and is usually studied for classically prescribed laser backgrounds. Here we examine how the statistical properties of a squeezed coherent driving field modify nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production. Using a polarization-resolved Monte Carlo framework with stochastic averaging over the field-amplitude distribution derived from the Husimi Q-function, we simulate collisions of gamma photons with squeezed light and identify clear source-state-dependent modifications of the pair production signal. These effects include the smoothing of harmonic structure, the enhancement of higher-order multiphoton channels, and the suppression of the single-laser-photon absorption channel when stronger-field realizations raise the dressed-mass threshold. Within the selected spectral window, the degree of positron polarization increases monotonically with the squeezing parameter, while the angular distributions broaden as the statistical weight of larger field amplitudes increases. Our results show that, even at fixed mean electric-field amplitude, the statistical fluctuations inherent to the squeezed coherent state can substantially reshape spectral, angular, and spin-resolved observables in strong-field pair production. These findings illustrate a direct link between source-state-dependent field statistics and strong-field pair production observables, and provide a theoretical framework for studying how squeezed-state preparation of the driving field can influence high-energy QED processes.

hep-th

Ultrafast Ionization Dynamics Encoded in a Photoelectron Spin Torus

We demonstrate that strong-field ionization of atoms in circularly polarized laser fields generates a photoelectron spin texture with toroidal topology in momentum space. Using time-dependent Schrödinger equation simulations, spin-resolved classical-trajectory Monte Carlo calculations, and an extended spin-resolved strong-field approximation including intermediate excitation pathways, we show that the rotation angle of this spin torus provides access to attosecond relative time delays associated with photoelectron wave packets released by tunneling from the counter-rotating and co-rotating \(p\)-orbital channels. When intermediate-state dynamics become significant, the torus develops a clear splitting. These results establish photoelectron spin textures as a complementary source of dynamical information beyond conventional momentum spectroscopy, and identify spin polarization as a robust internal degree of freedom for self-referenced attosecond metrology.

physics.atom-ph

Benchmarking Atomic Ionization Driven by Strong Quantum Light

The recently available high-intensity quantum light pulses provide novel tools for controlling light-matter interactions. However, the rigor of the theoretical frameworks currently used to describe the interaction of strong quantum light with atoms and molecules remains unverified. Here, we establish a rigorous benchmark by solving the fully quantized time-dependent Schrödinger equation for an atom exposed to bright squeezed vacuum light. Our \textit{ab initio} simulations reveal a critical limitation of the widely used $Q$-representation: although it accurately reproduces the total photoelectron spectrum after tracing over photon states, it completely fails to capture the electron-photon joint energy spectrum. To overcome this limitation, we develop a general theoretical framework based on the Feynman path integral that properly incorporates the electron-photon quantum entanglement. Our results provide both quantitative benchmarks and fundamental theoretical insights for the emerging field of strong-field quantum optics.

quant-ph

Semiclassical analysis of axion-like particle emission via nonlinear Compton-like scattering in intense laser fields

We investigate the production of axion-like particles through nonlinear Compton-like scattering in intense laser fields using the Baier-Katkov operator method. By explicitly constructing the eikonal spinor wave function, we utilize the semiclassical nature of relativistic electrons, which simplifies the theoretical derivation and circumvents the need to evaluate certain operator products. The electron spin-resolved axion emission rate is obtained under the local constant field approximation, with explicit calculations demonstrating that transverse acceleration dominates the radiation yields. The electron spin dependence of the axion emission rate is found to differ significantly from that of photon emission by analytically examining the asymptotic behavior of the radiation in both the weak- and strong-field limits and by numerically exploring the intermediate regime. The derived spin-resolved axion emission rate can be directly incorporated into existing semiclassical Monte Carlo algorithms developed for strong-field photon processes, enabling efficient modeling of axion-like particle generation. Our results provide promising avenues for the experimental detection and control of axion-like particles with high-intensity laser facilities.

hep-ph

Spin-Dependent Axion Generation with Controllable Emission Angles in Strong Laser Fields

We investigate axion production in the collision between a spin-polarized relativistic electron beam and an ultraintense laser pulse. A spin-resolved Monte Carlo framework is developed to model axion-electron and axion-photon couplings in arbitrary electromagnetic fields, using quantum emission probabilities under the local constant field approximation. Owing to spin-dependent asymmetries in radiation probability, the emitted axions acquire a characteristic angular deflection tied to the initial electron polarization. This spin-dependent asymmetry enables control over the axion emission direction by adjusting the polarization of the electron beam and laser field. Simulations show that a dense and collimated axion beam ($\sim 10^{10} g_{ae}^2$) with a tunable deflection angle ($\sim$ mrad) can be produced within tens of femtoseconds using current laser technology. Our results establish a novel mechanism for manipulating axion trajectories and open a promising route toward laboratory-based searches for the axion-electron coupling.

hep-ph

Experimental Evidence of Vortex $γ$ Photons in All-Optical Inverse Compton Scattering

Vortex $γ$ photons carrying orbital angular momenta (OAM) hold great potential for various applications. However, their generation remains a great challenge. Here, we successfully generate sub-MeV vortex $γ$ photons via all-optical inverse Compton scattering of relativistic electrons colliding with a sub-relativistic Laguerre-Gaussian laser. In principle, directly measuring the OAM of $γ$ photons is challenging due to their incoherence and extremely short wavelength. Therein, we put forward a novel method to determine the OAM properties by revealing the quantum opening angle of vortex $γ$ photons, since vortex particles exhibit not only a spiral phase but also transverse momentum according to the quantum electrodynamics theory. Thus,$γ$ photons carrying OAM anifest a much larger angular distribution than those without OAM, which has been clearly observed in our experiments. This angular expansion is considered as an overall effect lying beyond classical theory. Our method provides the first experimental evidence for detecting vortex $γ$ photons and opens a new perspective for investigating OAM-induced quantum phenomena in broad fields.

physics.plasm-ph

Photoelectron Polarization Vortexes in Strong-Field Ionization

The spin polarization of photoelectrons induced by an intense linearly polarized laser field is investigated using numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in companion with our analytic treatment via the spin-resolved strong-field approximation and classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations. We demonstrate that, even though the total polarization vanishes upon averaging over the photoelectron momentum, momentum-resolved spin polarization is significant, typically exhibiting a vortex structure relative to the laser polarization axis. The polarization arises from the transfer of spin-orbital coupling in the bound state to the spin-correlated quantum orbits in the continuum. The rescattering of photoelectrons at the atomic core plays an important role in forming the polarization vortex structure, while there is no significant effect of the spin-orbit coupling during the continuum dynamics. Furthermore, spin-polarized electron holography is demonstrated, feasible for extracting fine structural information about the atom.

physics.atom-ph

Nondipole Coulomb sub-barrier ionization dynamics and photon momentum sharing

The nondipole under-the-barrier dynamics of the electron during strong-field tunneling ionization is investigated, examining the role of the Coulomb field of the atomic core. The common analysis in the strong field approximation is consequently generalised to include the leading light-front non-dipole Coulomb corrections and demonstrates the counter-intuitive impact of the sub-barrier Coulomb field. Despite its attractive nature, the sub-barrier Coulomb field increases the photoelectron nondipole momentum shift along the laser propagation direction, involving a strong dependence on the laser field. The scaling of the effect with respect to the principal quantum number and angular momentum of the bound state is found. We demonstrate that the signature of Coulomb induced sub-barrier effects can be identified in the asymptotic photoelectron momentum distribution via a comparative study of the field-dependent longitudinal momentum shift for different atomic species with state-of-the-art experimental techniques of mid-infrared lasers.

physics.atom-ph

Theory of Subcycle Linear Momentum Transfer in Strong-Field Tunneling Ionization

Interaction of a strong laser pulse with matter transfers not only energy but also linear momentum of the photons. Recent experimental advances have made it possible to detect the small amount of linear momentum delivered to the photoelectrons in strong-field ionization of atoms. We present numerical simulations as well as an analytical description of the subcycle phase (or time) resolved momentum transfer to an atom accessible by an attoclock protocol. We show that the light-field-induced momentum transfer is remarkably sensitive to properties of the ultrashort laser pulse such as its carrier-envelope phase and ellipticity. Moreover, we show that the subcycle resolved linear momentum transfer can provide novel insights into the interplay between nonadiabatic and nondipole effects in strong-field ionization. This work paves the way towards the investigation of the so-far unexplored time-resolved nondipole nonadiabatic tunneling dynamics.

physics.atom-ph

Robust Strategies for Affirming Kramers-Henneberger Atoms

Atoms exposed to high-frequency strong laser fields experience the ionization suppression due to the deformation of Kramers-Henneberger (KH) wave functions, which has not been confirmed yet in experiment. We propose a bichromatic pump-probe strategy to affirm the existence of KH states, which is formed by the pump pulse and ionized by the probe pulse. In the case of the single-photon ionization triggered by a vacuum ultra-violet probe pulse, the double-slit structure of KH atom is mapped to the photoelectron momentum distribution. In the case of the tunneling ionization induced by an infrared probe pulse, streaking in anisotropic Coulomb potential produces a characteristic momentum drift. Apart from bichromatic schemes, the non-Abelian geometric phase provides an alternative route to affirm the existence of KH states. Following specific loops in laser parameter space, a complete spin flipping transition could be achieved. Our proposal has advantages of being robust against focal-intensity average as well as ionization depletion, and is accessible with current laser facilities.

physics.atom-ph

Polarized positron beams via intense two-color laser pulses

Generation of ultrarelativistic polarized positrons during interaction of an ultrarelativistic electron beam with a counterpropagating two-color petawatt laser pulse is investigated theoretically. Our Monte Carlo simulation based on a semi-classical model, incorporates photon emissions and pair productions, using spin-resolved quantum probabilities in the local constant field approximation, and describes the polarization of electrons and positrons for the pair production and photon emission processes, as well as the classical spin precession in-between. The main reason of the polarization is shown to be the spin-asymmetry of the pair production process in strong external fields, combined with the asymmetry of the two-color laser field. Employing a feasible scenario, we show that highly polarized positron beams, with a polarization degree of $ζ\approx 60\%$, can be produced in a femtosecond time scale, with a small angular divergence, $\sim 74$ mrad, and high density $\sim 10^{14}$ cm$^{-3}$. The laser-driven positron source, along with laser wakefield acceleration, may pave the way to small scale facilities for high energy physics studies.

physics.plasm-ph

Origin of high energy enhancement of photoelectron spectra in tunneling ionization

Recently, in a strong Coulomb field regime of tunneling ionization an unexpected large enhancement of photoelectron spectra due to the Coulomb field of the atomic core has been identified by numerical solution of time-dependent Schrödinger equation [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{117}, 243003 (2016)] in the upper energy range of the tunnel-ionized direct electrons. We investigate the origin of the enhancement employing a classical theory with Monte Carlo simulations of trajectories, and a quantum theory of Coulomb-corrected strong field approximation based on the generalized eikonal approximation for the continuum electron. Although the quantum effects at recollisions with a small impact parameter yield an overall enhancement of the spectrum relative to the classical prediction, the high energy enhancement itself is shown to have a classical nature and is due to momentum space bunching of photoelectrons released not far from the peak of the laser field. The bunching is caused by a large and nonuniform, with respect to the ionization time, Coulomb momentum transfer at the ionization tunnel exit.

physics.atom-ph

Longitudinal photoelectron momentum shifts induced by absorbing a single XUV photon in diatomic molecules

The photoelectron momentum shifts along the laser propagation are investigated by the time-dependent perturbation theory for diatomic molecules, such as H$_2^+$, N$_2$ and O$_2$. Such longitudinal momentum shifts characterize the photon momentum sharing in atoms and molecules, and oscillate with respect to photon energies, presenting the double-slit interference structure. The atomic and molecular contributions are disentangled analytically, which gives intuitive picture how the double-slit interference structure is formed. Calculation results show the longitudinal photoelectron momentum distribution depends on the internuclear distance, molecular orientation and photon energy. The current laser technology is ready to approve these theoretical predictions.

physics.optics