Relativistic Plasma Optics with Structured Light

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

The polarization vector of laser light can be modulated in time and space to produce what is referred to as structured light. Structured light has been a powerful tool in optical manipulation, communications, imaging, and microscopy, as it provides access to phenomena not otherwise visible. The research effort supported by this award aims to drive and probe new phenomena in interactions of structured laser beams with plasmas, states of matter consisting of a significant portion of positively-charged ions and free electrons. High-power elliptically polarized and vortex laser beams will be used to produce plasma harmonics with tunable ellipticity and vorticity of the polarization state. Interactions of structured light with plasmas will provide new insights into their optical and magnetic properties. This project investigates new theoretically predicted phenomena in relativistic laser-matter interactions using uniquely structured laser beams tailored in space and time as well as through their polarization state. The objectives of the proposed measurements are to produce elliptically polarized and vortex harmonic beams from plasma mirrors and, for the first time, demonstrate the ability to control their polarization state and vorticity by tuning the energy, ellipticity, and vorticity of the driving laser beam. Experimental results will be compared to the results of two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.