arXiv subjects

Zan Nie

Publications and source records attributed to Zan Nie.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

6.2-GW tabletop attosecond light source

The generation of attosecond pulses (1 as=10-18 s) has enabled real-time observation and manipulation of coherent electron dynamics, yet their low peak power has hindered the development of advanced attosecond pump-probe spectroscopy and attosecond nonlinear metrology. Here we overcome this limitation by generating 1.64 uJ, 263 as isolated attosecond pulses with a peak power of 6.2 GW, the highest pulse energy and peak power reported for a tabletop isolated attosecond source. This is achieved by combining a 2.1 TW, few-cycle (8.3 fs) two-color synthesizer with a loose focusing geometry that enables macroscopic phase-matching. The synthesizer features a stabilized carrier-envelope phase and an actively synchronized relative time delay between the two-color channels, ensuring high stability and reproducibility. This robust tabletop attosecond source enables nonlinear effect experiments that were previously inaccessible with lower-power IAPs, establishing a foundation for advanced attosecond spectroscopy and nonlinear metrology.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Bidirectional cascaded superfluorescent lasing in air enabled by resonant third harmonic photon exchange from nitrogen to argon

Cavity-free lasing in atmospheric air has stimulated intense research towards fundamental understanding of underlying physical mechanisms. In this Letter, we identify a new mechanism -- third harmonic photon mediated resonant energy transfer pathway leading to population inversion in argon via initial three-photon excitation of nitrogen molecules irradiated by intense 261 nm pulses -- that enables bidirectional two-color cascaded lasing in atmospheric air. By making pump-probe measurements, we conclusively show that such cascaded lasing results from superfluorescence (SF) rather than amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). Such cascaded lasing with the capability of producing bidirectional multicolor coherent pulses opens additional possibilities for remote sensing applications.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Correlations between X-rays, Visible Light and Drive-Beam Energy Loss Observed in Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiments at FACET-II

This study documents several correlations observed during the first run of the plasma wakefield acceleration experiment E300 conducted at FACET-II, using a single drive electron bunch. The established correlations include those between the measured maximum energy loss of the drive electron beam and the integrated betatron x-ray signal, the calculated total beam energy deposited in the plasma and the integrated x-ray signal, among three visible light emission measuring cameras, and between the visible plasma light and x-ray signal. The integrated x-ray signal correlates almost linearly with both the maximum energy loss of the drive beam and the energy deposited into the plasma, demonstrating its usability as a measure of energy transfer from the drive beam to the plasma. Visible plasma light is found to be a useful indicator of the presence of wake at three locations that overall are two meters apart. Despite the complex dynamics and vastly different timescales, the x-ray radiation from the drive bunch and visible light emission from the plasma may prove to be effective non-invasive diagnostics for monitoring the energy transfer from the beam to the plasma in future high-repetition-rate experiments.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas

The past decade has seen tremendous progress in the production and utilization of vortex and vector laser pulses. Although both are considered as structured light beams, the vortex lasers have helical phase fronts and phase singularities, while the vector lasers have spatially variable polarization states and polarization singularities. In contrast to the vortex pulses that carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), the vector laser pulses have a complex spin angular momentum (SAM) and OAM coupling. Despite many potential applications enabled by such pulses, the generation of high-power/-intensity vortex and vector beams remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate using theory and three-dimensional simulations that the strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering (SC-SBS) process in plasmas can be used as a promising amplification technique with up to 65% energy transfer efficiency from the pump beam to the seed beam for both vortex and vector pulses. We also show that SC-SBS is strongly polarization-dependent in plasmas, enabling an all-optical polarization control of the amplified seed beam. Additionally, the interaction of such structured lasers with plasmas leads to various angular momentum couplings and decouplings that produce intense new light structures with controllable OAM and SAM. This scheme paves the way for novel optical devices such as plasma-based amplifiers and light field manipulators.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Efficient generation of intense spatial and spatiotemporal vortex harmonics using plasma mirrors

Intense spatial or spatiotemporal vortex pulses from the extreme ultraviolet to soft X-ray spectral windows are expected to provide new degrees of freedom for a variety of key applications since they carry longitudinal or transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM), respectively. Plasma-based high harmonic generation driven by a near-infrared spatial or spatiotemporal optical vortex offers a promising route to such novel light sources. However, the energy conversion efficiency from the incident vortex beam to the vortex harmonics is rather low because of the limited driving intensities available in practice. Here, we propose and demonstrate through simulations that by adding a readily available relativistic Gaussian pump beam as a source of energy, the energy conversion efficiency can be increased by several orders of magnitude. In addition, the proposed scheme allows independent control over the frequency and OAM of the vortex harmonics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

Highly spin-polarized multi-GeV electron beams generated by single-species plasma photocathodes

High-gradient and high-efficiency acceleration in plasma-based accelerators has been demonstrated, showing its potential as the building block for a future collider operating at the energy frontier of particle physics. However, generating and accelerating the required spin-polarized beams in such a collider using plasma-based accelerators has been a long-standing challenge. Here we show that the passage of a highly relativistic, high-current electron beam through a single-species (ytterbium) vapor excites a nonlinear plasma wake by primarily ionizing the two outer 6s electrons. Further photoionization of the resultant Yb2+ ions by a circularly polarized laser injects the 4f14 electrons into this wake generating a highly spin-polarized beam. Combining time-dependent Schrodinger equation simulations with particle-in-cell simulations, we show that a sub-femtosecond, high-current (4 kA) electron beam with up to 56% net spin polarization can be generated and accelerated to 15 GeV in just 41 cm. This relatively simple scheme solves the perplexing problem of producing spin-polarized relativistic electrons in plasma-based accelerators.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

Efficient Generation of Tunable Magnetic and Optical Vortices Using Plasmas

Plasma is an attractive medium for generating strong microscopic magnetic structures and tunable electromagnetic radiation with predictable topologies due to its extraordinary ability to sustain and manipulate high currents and strong fields. Here, using theory and simulations, we show efficient generation of multi-megagauss magnetic and tunable optical vortices when a sharp relativistic ionization front (IF) passes through a relatively long-wavelength Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser pulse with orbital angular momentum (OAM). The optical vortex is frequency upshifted within a wide spectral range simply by changing the plasma density and compressed in duration. The topological charges of both vortices can be manipulated by controlling the OAM mode of the incident LG laser and/or by controlling the topology and density of the IF. For relatively high (low) plasma densities, most energy of the incident LG laser pulse is converted to the magnetic (optical) vortex.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

In Situ Generation of High-Energy Spin-Polarized Electrons in a Beam-Driven Plasma Wakefield Accelerator

In situ generation of a high-energy, high-current, spin-polarized electron beam is an outstanding scientific challenge to the development of plasma-based accelerators for high-energy colliders. In this Letter we show how such a spin-polarized relativistic beam can be produced by ionization injection of electrons of certain atoms with a circularly polarized laser field into a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator, providing a much desired one-step solution to this challenge. Using time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) simulations, we show the propensity rule of spin-dependent ionization of xenon atoms can be reversed in the strong-field multi-photon regime compared with the non-adiabatic tunneling regime, leading to high total spin-polarization. Furthermore, three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are incorporated with TDSE simulations, providing start-to-end simulations of spin-dependent strong-field ionization of xenon atoms and subsequent trapping, acceleration, and preservation of electron spin-polarization in lithium plasma. We show the generation of a high-current (0.8 kA), ultra-low-normalized-emittance (~37 nm), and high-energy (2.7 GeV) electron beam within just 11 cm distance, with up to ~31% net spin polarization. Higher current, energy, and net spin-polarization beams are possible by optimizing this concept, thus solving a long-standing problem facing the development of plasma accelerators.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Ionization induced plasma grating and its applications in strong-field ionization measurements

An ionization-induced plasma grating can be formed by spatially selective ionization of gases by the interference of two intersecting ultra-short laser pulses. The density modulation of a plasma grating can approach unity since the plasma is produced only where the two pulses constructively interfere and ionization does not occur in destructive interference regions. Such a large density modulation leads to efficient Thomson scattering of a second ultra-short probe pulse once the Bragg condition is satisfied. By measuring the scattering efficiency, it is possible to determine the absolute electron density in the plasma grating and thereby deduce the ionization degree for a given neutral gas density. In this paper, we demonstrate the usefulness of this concept by showing two applications: ionization degree measurement of strong-field ionization of atoms and molecules and characterization of extremely low-density gas jets. The former application is of particular interest for ionization physics studies in dense gases where the collision of the ionized electron with neighboring neutrals may become important-sometimes referred to as many-body ionization, and the latter is useful for plasma-based acceleration that requires extremely low-density plasmas.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Extremely Dense Gamma-Ray Pulses in Electron Beam-Multifoil Collisions

Sources of high-energy photons have important applications in almost all areas of research. However, the photon flux and intensity of existing sources is strongly limited for photon energies above a few hundred keV. Here we show that a high-current ultrarelativistic electron beam interacting with multiple submicrometer-thick conducting foils can undergo strong self-focusing accompanied by efficient emission of gamma-ray synchrotron photons. Physically, self-focusing and high-energy photon emission originate from the beam interaction with the near-field transition radiation accompanying the beam-foil collision. This near field radiation is of amplitude comparable with the beam self-field, and can be strong enough that a single emitted photon can carry away a significant fraction of the emitting electron energy. After beam collision with multiple foils, femtosecond collimated electron and photon beams with number density exceeding that of a solid are obtained. The relative simplicity, unique properties, and high efficiency of this gamma-ray source open up new opportunities for both applied and fundamental research including laserless investigations of strong-field QED processes with a single electron beam.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2020

Ultra-short pulse generation from mid-IR to THz range using plasma wakes and relativistic ionization fronts

This paper discusses numerical and experimental results on frequency downshifting and upshifting of a 10 $μ$m infrared laser to cover the entire wavelength (frequency) range from $λ$=1-150 $μ$m ($ν$=300-2 THz) using two different plasma techniques. The first plasma technique utilizes frequency downshifting of the drive laser pulse in a nonlinear plasma wake. Based on this technique, we have proposed and demonstrated that in a tailored plasma structure multi-millijoule energy, single-cycle, long-wavelength IR (3-20 $μ$m) pulses can be generated by using an 810 nm Ti:sapphire drive laser. Here we extend this idea to the THz frequency regime. We show that sub-joule, terawatts, single-cycle terahertz (2-12 THz, or 150-25 $μ$m) pulses can be generated by replacing the drive laser with a picosecond 10 $μ$m CO$_2$ laser and a different shaped plasma structure. The second plasma technique employs frequency upshifting by colliding a CO$_2$ laser with a rather sharp relativistic ionization front created by ionization of a gas in less than half cycle (17 fs) of the CO$_2$ laser. Even though the electrons in the ionization front carry no energy, the frequency of the CO$_2$ laser can be upshifted due to the relativistic Doppler effect as the CO$_2$ laser pulse enters the front. The wavelength can be tuned from 1-10 $μ$m by simply changing the electron density of the front. While the upshifted light with $5 <λ(μ$m$)< 10$ propagates in the forward direction, that with $1 <λ(μ$m$)< 5$ is back-reflected. These two plasma techniques seem extremely promising for covering the entire molecular fingerprint region.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2020

High-throughput injection-acceleration of electron bunches from a linear accelerator to a laser wakefield accelerator

Plasma-based accelerators (PBAs) driven by either intense lasers (laser wakefield accelerators, LWFAs) or particle beams (plasma wakefield accelerators, PWFAs), can accelerate charged particles at extremely high gradients compared to conventional radio-frequency (RF) accelerators. In the past two decades, great strides have been made in this field, making PBA a candidate for next-generation light sources and colliders. However, these challenging applications necessarily require beams with good stability, high quality, controllable polarization and excellent reproducibility. To date, such beams are generated only by conventional RF accelerators. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate the injection and acceleration of beams first produced using a conventional RF accelerator, by a PBA. In some recent studies on LWFA staging and external injection-acceleration in PWFA only a very small fraction (from below 0.1% to few percent) of the injected charge (the coupling efficiency) was accelerated. For future colliders where beam energy will need to be boosted using multiple stages, the coupling efficiency per stage must approach 100%. Here we report the first demonstration of external injection from a photocathode-RF-gun-based conventional linear accelerator (LINAC) into a LWFA and subsequent acceleration without any significant loss of charge or degradation of quality, which is achieved by properly shaping and matching the beam into the plasma structure. This is an important step towards realizing a high-throughput, multi-stage, high-energy, hybrid conventional-plasma accelerator.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Relativistic, single-cycle tunable-infrared pulses generated by a tailored plasma density structure

The availability of intense, ultrashort coherent radiation sources in the infrared region of the spectrum is enabling the generation of attosecond X-ray pulses via high harmonic generation, pump-probe experiments in the "molecular fingerprint" region and opening up the area of relativistic-infrared nonlinear optics of plasmas. These applications would benefit from multi-millijoule single-cycle pulses in the mid to long wavelength infrared (LW-IR) region. Here we present a new scheme capable of producing tunable relativistically intense, single-cycle infrared pulses from 5-14$μ$m with a 1.7% conversion efficiency based on a photon frequency downshifting scheme that uses a tailored plasma density structure. The carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of the LW-IR pulse is locked to that of the drive laser to within a few percent. Such a versatile tunable IR source may meet the demands of many cutting-edge applications in strong-field physics and greatly promote their development.

physics.plasm-ph↗