Energy-Conserving Theory of the Blowout Regime of Plasma Wakefield.

We present a self-consistent theory of strongly nonlinear plasma wakefield (bubble or blowout regime of the wakefield) based on the energy conservation approach. Such wakefields are excited in plasmas by intense laser or particle beam drivers and are characterized by the expulsion of plasma electrons from the propagation axis of the driver. As a result, a spherical cavity devoid of electrons (called a "bubble") and surrounded by a thin sheath made of expelled electrons is formed behind the driver. In contrast to the previous theoretical model [W. Lu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 165002 (2006)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.96.165002], the presented theory satisfies the energy conservation law, does not require any external fitting parameters, and describes the bubble structure and the electromagnetic field it contains with much higher accuracy in a wide range of parameters. The obtained results are verified by 3D particle-in-cell simulations.

Quantum theory of Rayleigh scattering.

We suggest a quantum description of Rayleigh light scattering on atoms. We show that an entangled state of the excited atom and the incident photon is formed during the scattering. Due to entanglement, a photon is never completely absorbed by the atom. The formation of the scattering spectrum is considered as a relaxation of incident photons to the reservoir of free space modes that are in thermal equilibrium. Additional excitations of the reservoir modes occurring during scattering are treated as scattered light. We show that even if the frequency of incident photons is incommensurate with an atomic transition frequency, the scattered light spectrum has a maximum at the frequency of incident photons. In addition, the linewidth of the scattered light is much smaller than that of the spontaneous emission of a single atom. Therefore, the process can be considered as elastic.

Enhancement of the Raman Effect by Infrared Pumping.

We propose a method for increasing Raman scattering from an ensemble of molecules by up to 4 orders of magnitude. Our method requires an additional coherent source of IR radiation with the half-frequency of the Stokes shift. This radiation excites the molecule electronic subsystem that in turn, via Fröhlich coupling, parametrically excites nuclear oscillations at a resonant frequency. This motion is coherent and leads to a boost of the Raman signal in comparison to the spontaneous signal because its intensity is proportional to the squared number of molecules in the illuminated volume.

Prospect of Studying Nonperturbative QED with Beam-Beam Collisions.

We demonstrate the experimental feasibility of probing the fully nonperturbative regime of quantum electrodynamics with a 100 GeV-class particle collider. By using tightly compressed and focused electron beams, beamstrahlung radiation losses can be mitigated, allowing the particles to experience extreme electromagnetic fields. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations confirm the viability of this approach. The experimental forefront envisaged has the potential to establish a novel research field and to stimulate the development of a new theoretical methodology for this yet unexplored regime of strong-field quantum electrodynamics.

Superradiance of non-Dicke states.

In 1954, Dicke predicted that a system of quantum emitters confined to a subwavelength volume would produce a superradiant burst. For such a burst to occur, the emitters must be in the special Dicke state with zero dipole moment. We show that a superradiant burst may also arise for non-Dicke initial states with a nonzero dipole moment. Both for Dicke and non-Dicke initial states, superradiance arises due to a decrease in the dispersion of the quantum phase of the emitter state. For non-Dicke states, the quantum phase is related to the phase of long-period envelopes which modulate the oscillations of the dipole moments. A decrease in the dispersion of the quantum phase causes a decrease in the dispersion of envelope phases that results in constructive interference of the envelopes and the superradiant burst.

Inversion of a two-level atom by quantum superoscillations.

We show that a two-level atom with a high transition frequency ωSO can be inverted via non-radiative interaction with a cluster of excited low-frequency two-level atoms or quantum oscillators whose transition frequencies are smaller than ωSO. This phenomenon occurs due to the Förster resonant energy transfer arising during a train of quantum superoscillation of low-frequency two-level atoms. The suggested model could explain the mechanism of biophoton emission.

Superradiance of a subwavelength array of classical nonlinear emitters.

We suggest a mechanism by which a superradiant burst emerges from a subwavelength array of nonlinear classical emitters that are not initially synchronized. The emitters interact via the field of their common radiative response. We show that only if the distribution of initial phases is not uniform does a non-zero field of radiative response arise, leading to a superradiant burst. Although this field cannot synchronize the emitters, it engenders long period envelopes for their fast oscillations. Constructive interference in the envelopes of several emitters creates a large fluctuation in dipole moments that results in a superradiant pulse. The intensity of this pulse is proportional to the square of the number of emitters participating in the fluctuation.

Noisy metamolecule: strong narrowing of fluorescence line: reply.

We reply on the comment [Opt. Lett.41, 5821 (2016)10.1364/OL.41.005821OPLEDP0146-9592] regarding our Letter [Opt. Lett.40, 3536 (2015)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.40.003536], where a dissipative driven bosonic mode strongly coupled to a two-level system is studied. We show that the authors of the comment erroneously claim that the Monte Carlo simulation is insufficient. More important is the basic statement of the comment about the vanishing width of the spectral line. This means that the plasmon spectral line vanishes at a large external field. The authors of the comment do not distinguish the averages of the observables from the quasi-averages that are quite different in multistable systems where ergodicity is challenged.

Microengineering Laser Plasma Interactions at Relativistic Intensities.

We report on the first successful proof-of-principle experiment to manipulate laser-matter interactions on microscales using highly ordered Si microwire arrays. The interaction of a high-contrast short-pulse laser with a flat target via periodic Si microwires yields a substantial enhancement in both the total and cutoff energies of the produced electron beam. The self-generated electric and magnetic fields behave as an electromagnetic lens that confines and guides electrons between the microwires as they acquire relativistic energies via direct laser acceleration.

Spaser operation below threshold: autonomous vs. driven spasers.

At the plasmon resonance, high Joule losses in a metal nanoparticle of a spaser result in its low Q-factor. Due to the latter, to achieve the spasing regime, in which the number of coherent plasmons exceeds the number of incoherent plasmons, unsustainably high pump rates may be required. We show that under the condition of loss compensation by a spaser driven by an external optical wave, the number of coherent plasmons increases dramatically, and the quantum noise is suppressed. Since the compensation of losses of the driving wave may occur even near the spasing threshold, the number of coherent plasmons may exceed the number of spontaneously excited plasmons at achievable pump rates.

Noisy metamolecule: strong narrowing of fluorescence line.

We consider a metamolecule consisting of a bosonic mode correlated with a two-level system (TLS): it can be, for example, a plasmonic mode interacting with a quantum dot. We focus on the parameter range where all the correlations are strong and of the same order. The interaction between the bosonic mode is correlated with the TLS, external coherent drive, and dissipation. Quantum Monte Carlo simulations show that the fluorescence of this system at dissipation is larger than the driving amplitude and shows a strong (by the order of magnitude) narrowing of its spectral line. This effect may be related to kind of a quantum stochastic resonance. We show that the fluorescence corresponds to the finite domain over the coherent drive with sharp, low threshold, and that the Wigner function splits.

Superattraction mediated by quantum fluctuations of plasmon quasi-continuum.

We investigate the force between a plasmonic nanoparticle and a highly excited two-level system (molecule). Usually van der Waals' force between nanoscale electrically neutral systems is monotonic and attractive at moderate and larger distances and repulsive at small distances. In our system, the van der Waals' force acting on a molecule has a quantum-optical nature. At moderate distances it is attractive as usual but its strength highly increases in narrow distance ranges (lacunas). We show that quantum fluctuations of quasi-continuum of multipole plasmons of high, nearly infinite degree, altogether form an effective environment and determine the interaction force while their spectral peculiarities stand behind the large and narrow lacunas in force. We exactly solve the Hamiltonian problem and discuss the role of the dissipation.

Field-reversed bubble in deep plasma channels for high-quality electron acceleration.

We study hollow plasma channels with smooth boundaries for laser-driven electron acceleration in the bubble regime. Contrary to the uniform plasma case, the laser forms no optical shock and no etching at the front. This increases the effective bubble phase velocity and energy gain. The longitudinal field has a plateau that allows for monoenergetic acceleration. We observe as low as 10⁻³ rms relative witness beam energy uncertainty in each cross section and 0.3% total energy spread. By varying the plasma density profile inside a deep channel, the bubble fields can be adjusted to balance the laser depletion and dephasing lengths. Bubble scaling laws for the deep channel are derived. Ultrashort pancakelike laser pulses lead to the highest energies of accelerated electrons per Joule of laser pulse energy.

Radiation-reaction trapping of electrons in extreme laser fields.

A radiation-reaction trapping (RRT) of electrons is revealed in the near-QED regime of laser-plasma interaction. Electrons quivering in laser pulse experience radiation reaction (RR) recoil force by radiating photons. When the laser field reaches the threshold, the RR force becomes significant enough to compensate for the expelling laser ponderomotive force. Then electrons are trapped inside the laser pulse instead of being scattered off transversely and form a dense plasma bunch. The mechanism is demonstrated both by full three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations using the QED photonic approach and numerical test-particle modeling based on the classical Landau-Lifshitz formula of RR force. Furthermore, the proposed analysis shows that the threshold of laser field amplitude for RRT is approximately the cubic root of laser wavelength over classical electron radius. Because of the pinching effect of the trapped electron bunch, the required laser intensity for RRT can be further reduced.

Transient temperature dynamics of reservoirs connected through an open quantum system.

The dynamics of open quantum systems connected with several reservoirs attract great attention due to their importance in quantum optics, biology, quantum thermodynamics, transport phenomena, etc. In many problems, the Born approximation is applicable, which implies that the influence of the open quantum system on the reservoirs can be neglected. However, in the case of long-time dynamics or mesoscopic reservoirs, the reverse influence can be crucial. In this paper, we investigate the transient dynamics of several bosonic reservoirs connected through an open quantum system. We use an adiabatic approach to study the temporal dynamics of temperatures of the reservoirs during relaxation to thermodynamic equilibrium. We show that there are various types of temperature dynamics that strongly depend on the values of dissipative rates and initial temperatures. We demonstrate that temperatures of the reservoirs, including the hottest and coldest ones, can exhibit nonmonotonic behavior. Moreover, there are moments of time during which the reservoir with an initially intermediate temperature becomes the hottest or coldest reservoir. The obtained results pave the way for managing energy flows in mesoscale and nanoscale systems.

Loss compensation by spasers in plasmonic systems.

We show that in plasmonic systems, exact loss compensation can be achieved with the help of spasers pumped over a wide range of pumping values both below and above the spasing threshold. We demonstrate that the difference between spaser operation below and above the spasing threshold vanishes, when the spaser is synchronized by an external field. As the spasing threshold loses its significance, a new pumping threshold, the threshold of loss compensation, arises. Below this threshold, which is smaller than the spasing threshold, compensation is impossible at any frequency of the external field.

Simultaneous generation of monoenergetic tunable protons and carbon ions from laser-driven nanofoils.

Simultaneous generation of monoenergetic tunable protons and carbon ions from intense laser multi-component nanofoil interaction is demonstrated by using particle-in-cell simulations. It is shown that, the protons with the largest charge-to-mass ratio are instantly separated from other ion species and are efficiently accelerated in the "phase stable" way. The carbon ions always ride on the heavier oxygen ion front with an electron-filling gap between the protons and carbon ions. At the cost of widely spread oxygen ions, monoenergetic collimated protons and carbon ions are obtained simultaneously. By modulating the heavier ion densities in the foil, it is capable to control the final beam quality, which is well interpreted by a simple analytical model.

Ultra-high-pressure generation in the relativistic transparency regime in laser-irradiated nanowire arrays.

We show that an ultra-high-pressure plasma can be generated when an aligned nanowire is irradiated by a laser with relativistic transparent intensity. Using a particle-in-cell simulation, we demonstrate that the expanded plasma following the z pinch becomes relativistically transparent and compressed longitudinally by the oscillating component of the ponderomotive force. The compressed structure persists throughout the pulse duration with a maximum pressure of 40Tbar when irradiated with a laser at an intensity of 10^{23}Wcm^{-2}, 5× higher than the z-pinch pressure. These results suggest an alternative approach to extending the current attainable pressure in the laboratory.

Harmonic generation from relativistic plasma surfaces in ultrasteep plasma density gradients.

Harmonic generation in the limit of ultrasteep density gradients is studied experimentally. Observations reveal that, while the efficient generation of high order harmonics from relativistic surfaces requires steep plasma density scale lengths (L(p)/λ < 1), the absolute efficiency of the harmonics declines for the steepest plasma density scale length L(p)→0, thus demonstrating that near-steplike density gradients can be achieved for interactions using high-contrast high-intensity laser pulses. Absolute photon yields are obtained using a calibrated detection system. The efficiency of harmonics reflected from the laser driven plasma surface via the relativistic oscillating mirror was estimated to be in the range of 10(-4)-10(-6) of the laser pulse energy for photon energies ranging from 20-40 eV, with the best results being obtained for an intermediate density scale length.