arXiv subjects

Zhen-Ke Dou

Publications and source records attributed to Zhen-Ke Dou.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Generation of Ultrabrilliant Positron Beam via Superponderomotive Injection in Laser Wakefield Acceleration

Plasma-based acceleration of positrons attracts extensive interest owing to the ultrahigh accelerating gradient and ultrashort duration, while generating wakefield positron beam by the inherent injection is still a great challenge. Here, we put forward a superponderomotive injection method of positrons in the blowout regime of laser wakefield acceleration. The dephasing-rate integral equation reveals a twofold mechanism: the longitudinal laser field delays phase-locking, guiding positrons into the paraxial focusing region, while the transverse laser Lorentz force suppresses the dephasing rate below unity, trapping them into the laser-modulated wakefield. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations demonstrate this via a donut-wake--pair-jet collision, generating low-emittance ($\sim$0.05~mm~mrad) multicycle positron beams. Start-to-end simulations for post-acceleration in the second-stage donut wakefield confirm high-throughput injection-to-acceleration coupling, yielding quasi-monoenergetic beam with six-dimensional brightness $\sim 10^{15}~\rm{A/m^2}/0.1\%$. This plasma-based injection-acceleration scheme opens a novel compact route to ultrabrilliant positron sources for ultrafast material diagnostics, laboratory astrophysics, and next-generation electron--positron colliders.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

Generation of Polarized Overdense Pair-photon Fireball via Laser-Driven Nonlinear-linear QED Cascade

Relativistic, polarized pair-photon fireballs are central to understand the microscopic energy transfer of high-energy astrophysical outflows, yet generating an overdense fireball in the laboratory, especially via an ultraintense laser, remains a formidable challenge. Here, we propose a novel method of laser-driven nonlinear-linear quantum electrodynamics (NL-QED) plasma, that dramatically lowers the laser intensity threshold for dense pair-photon fireball creation. By coupling polarization-resolved linear Breit-Wheeler and Compton processes with strong-field nonlinear radiation, we find that a self-organized NL-QED cascade is ignited in the laser-driven hole boring at intensities of $\sim 10^{22}~\mathrm{W/cm^2}$, accessible with current 10-PW-class laser facilities. Consequently, we demonstrate the generation of a pair-photon fireball with an overdense gamma-ray bath (maximum average density $\overline{n_γ} \approx 3 \times 10^{22}~\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$) and a pair plasma reaching collective regime (maximum average density $\overline{n_\pm} \approx 3 \times 10^{17}~\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$), which is highly polarized. Our method provides a comprehensive framework for studying laser-driven QED plasma and its application in laboratory astrophysics, probing multi-process QED physics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Generating Cylindrical Vector γ Rays via Beam-Target Interactions: Towards Structured Light at High Energies

Structured γ rays, particularly cylindrical vector γ rays, offer promising tools for sub-nuclear imaging and polarization-sensitive probes in fundamental research and applications, but conventional optical methods face great challenges at such photon energy. Here, we put forward a novel method generating such γ rays through relativistic beam-target interactions. For instance, radially polarized γ rays can be generated by using a dense electron beam striking a multifoil target. We find that the radial polarization is transferred from the generated coherent transition radiation (CTR) fields to $γ$ photons through nonlinear Compton scattering, with the high polarization preserved by phase matching. Three-dimensional spin-resolved simulations demonstrate radial polarization degrees approaching 60\%. Furthermore, these γ rays can decay into azimuthally spin-polarized positrons via the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process, with their spins aligning along the CTR magnetic field. Our work extends the concept of structured light into the γ-ray regime, offering new prospects for broad fields such as nuclear structure probing, fundamental symmetries tests, polarization-sensitive studies in extreme conditions, and laboratory astrophysical observations.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Compact Spin-Polarized Positron Acceleration in Multi-Layer Microhole Array Films

Compact spin-polarized positron accelerators play a major role in promoting significant positron application research, which typically require high acceleration gradients and polarization degree, both of which, however, are still great challenging. Here, we put forward a novel spin-polarized positron acceleration method which employs an ultrarelativistic high-density electron beam passing through any hole of multi-layer microhole array films to excite strong electrostatic and transition radiation fields. Positrons in the polarized electron-positron pair plasma, filled in the front of the multi-layer films, can be captured, accelerated, and focused by the electrostatic and transition radiation fields, while maintaining high polarization of above 90% and high acceleration gradient of about TeV/m. Multi-layer design allows for capturing more positrons and achieving cascade acceleration. Our method offers a promising solution for accelerator miniaturization, positron injection, and polarization maintaining, and also can be used to accelerate other charged particles.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Simulations of spin/polarization-resolved laser-plasma interactions in the nonlinear QED regime

Strong-field quantum electrodynamics (SF-QED) plays a crucial role in ultraintense laser matter interactions, and demands sophisticated techniques to understand the related physics with new degrees of freedom, including spin angular momentum. To investigate the impact of SF-QED processes, we have introduced spin/polarization-resolved nonlinear Compton scattering, nonlinear Breit-Wheeler and vacuum birefringence processes into our particle-in-cell (PIC) code. In this article, we will provide details of the implementation of these SF-QED modules and share known results that demonstrate exact agreement with existing single particle codes. By coupling normal PIC with spin/polarization-resolved SF-QED processes, we create a new theoretical platform to study strong field physics in currently running or planned petawatt or multi-petawatt laser facilities.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2020

Generation of highly-polarized high-energy brilliant $γ$-rays via laser-plasma interaction

Generation of highly-polarized high-energy brilliant $γ$-rays via laser-plasma interaction has been investigated in the quantum radiation-reaction regime. We employ a quantum-electrodynamics particle-in-cell code to describe spin-resolved electron dynamics semiclassically and photon emission and polarization quantum mechanically in the local constant field approximation. As an ultrastrong linearly-polarized (LP) laser pulse irradiates on a near-critical-density (NCD) plasma followed by an ultrathin planar aluminum target, the electrons in NCD plasma are first accelerated by the driving laser to ultrarelativistic energies, and then head-on collide with reflected laser pulse by the aluminum target, emitting brilliant LP $γ$-rays due to nonlinear Compton scattering with an average polarization of about 70\% and energy up to hundreds of MeV. By comparison, as a conical gold target filled with NCD plasma is employed, the linear polarization degree, collimation and brilliance of emitted $γ$-ray beam are all significantly improved due to the enhanced strong laser-driven quasi-static magnetic field in plasmas. Such $γ$-rays can be produced with currently achievable laser facilities and find various applications in high-energy physics and astrophysics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Imprint of the stochastic nature of photon emission by electrons on the proton energy spectra in the laser-plasma interaction

The impact of stochasticity effects (SEs) in photon emissions on the proton energy spectra during laser-plasma interaction is theoretically investigated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime, which may facilitate SEs experimental observation. We calculate the photon emissions quantum mechanically and the plasma dynamics semiclassically via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. An ultrarelativistic plasma generated and driven by an ultraintense laser pulse head-on collides with another strong laser pulse, which decelerates the electrons due to radiation-reaction effect and results in a significant compression of the proton energy spectra because of the charge separation force. In the considered regime the SEs are demonstrated in the shift of the mean energy of the protons up to hundreds of MeV. This effect is robust with respect to the laser and target parameters and measurable in soon available strong laser facilities.

physics.plasm-ph↗