Simulations Of Beam Propagation Research Articles

Focused shear wave beam propagation through a 3D printed human rib cage

Transient elastography (TE) is used in clinical screenings for liver fibrosis. TE generates shear wave motion in the liver by vibration of a piston at the skin. The small, flat piston in current devices radiates shear waves that diverge from the liver, resulting in low SNR and high failure rates, especially in obese patients. Our group recently introduced focused shear wave beams for TE [Cormack et al., IEEE TBME (2024)], in which vibration of a concave piston generates shear waves that converge towards the focal region, thereby increasing SNR for liver stiffness estimation. However, because piston sizes needed for efficient shear wave focusing are larger than the typical intercostal space, the rib cage that lies between the skin and the liver may cause shear wave aberration and influence stiffness measurement. Here, we present measurements of broadband focused shear wave propagation in tissue-mimicking gel in which are embedded 3D printed human ribs. Both straight elliptical rods and anatomically realistic 3D printed ribs are used as aberrators. Measurements are compared to 3D simulations of shear wave beam propagation [Archer et al., JASA (2023)]. Effects of shear wave aberration by the rib cage depend on shear wavelength, piston-to-rib distance, and piston radius and curvature.

Optical analogs of pair production and annihilation in binary waveguide arrays with a linearly shifted straight section

We systematically investigate the optical analogs of the e−e+ pair production and annihilation phenomena which can take place simultaneously in a binary waveguide array having a linearly shifted straight section sandwiched between two straight sections. These two processes can be realized by the beam splitting in the linearly shifted straight section which performs the function of an external vector potential with a rectangular form in time in quantum electrodynamics (QED) which is different from two widely used concepts based on an external time-varying electromagnetic field, or an external ultrastrong time-independent potential barrier in space as in the Schwinger mechanism. We show that the numerical results for annihilation and pair production probabilities based on the simulations of beam propagation in binary waveguide arrays in the low-power regime are in very good agreement with the theoretical results. We also reveal that with certain requirements, the proposed discrete model quantitatively mimics the two processes as well as the continuous model of the genuine Dirac equation in free space in QED. We also show that the nonlinearity in the high-power regime can reduce these two effects.

Non-specular reflection of a narrow spatially phase-modulated Gaussian beam.

The lateral and angular Goos-Hänchen shifts undergone upon reflection on a dielectric plate by a spatially phase-modulated Gaussian beam are derived. It is shown that the amplitude and direction of both lateral and angular shifts are very sensitive to the degree of spatial phase modulation of the incident beam, so that such modulation thus provides a means to control those shifts. It is also shown that the modulation incurs some beam reshaping upon reflection. Analytical calculations of the lateral shift are found to be in good agreement with numerical simulations of beam propagation before and after reflection. In these simulations, the required spatial transverse phase modulation is achieved by focusing a microwave Gaussian beam onto the dielectric plate with a non-spherical lens or a flat-surfaced thin lamella exhibiting a suitable gradient of its refractive index. The optimal parameters governing the spatial phase modulation are discussed to achieve: (i) enhancement of the lateral shift of a spatially phase-modulated beam in comparison to that of a non-modulated beam and (ii) simultaneous large values of reflectivity and of the lateral shift, while keeping the reshaping of the reflected beam to a minimum.

Numerical simulation of optical propagation using sinc approximation.

This paper further develops a recently proposed method for computing the diffraction integrals of optics based on sinc series approximation by presenting a numerical implementation, parameter selection criteria based on rigorous error analysis, and example optical propagation simulations demonstrating those criteria. Unlike fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based methods that are based on Fourier series, such as the well-known angular spectrum method (ASM), the sinc method uses a basis that is naturally suited to problems on an infinite domain. As such, it has been shown that the sinc method avoids the problems of artificial periodicity inherent in the ASM. After a brief review of the method, the detailed error analysis we provide confirms its super-algebraic convergence and verifies the claim that the accuracy of the method is independent of wavelength, propagation distance, and observation plane discretization; it depends only on the accuracy of the source field approximation. Based on this analysis, we derive parameter selection criteria for achieving a prescribed error tolerance, which will be valuable to potential users. Numerical simulations of Gaussian beam and optical phased array propagation verify the high-order accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed algorithms. To facilitate the reproduction of numerical results, we provide a Matlab code that implements our numerical approach for the Fresnel diffraction integral. For comparison, we also present numerical results obtained with the ASM as well as the band-limited angular spectrum method.

Direct comparison of analytically derived “Fedosov” solution with experimental measurements and numerical simulations of relativistic thin annular electron beam generation and propagation in magnetically insulated coaxial diode of SINUS-6 high-current electron-beam accelerator

The analytically derived solution for a thin annular electron-beam generation in a magnetically insulated coaxial diode (MICD), also known as “Fedosov solution,” is validated by direct experimental measurements of current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of MICD driven by the high-current electron-beam accelerator SINUS-6 and numerical particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of a thin annular electron-beam generation and propagation in computer model of MICD of corresponding geometry and initial/boundary conditions. The experimental measurements of I–V characteristics of MICD are performed by monitoring and analyzing a voltage applied to MICD and an electron-beam current generated by an explosive-emission cathode of MICD. Numerical simulations of MICD operation are performed using ICEPIC code. The comparisons of analytically derived “Fedosov” solution with experimentally measured I–V characteristics of MICD as well as with results of ICEPIC simulations of a three-dimensional computer model of MICD operation are analyzed, and a conclusion is made that all three measures are pretty much consistent with each other. The appliance of the analysis is purposed now in using SINUS-6 accelerator for designing, prototyping, and studying different variants of O-type slow-wave high-power microwave/millimeter-wavelength vacuum electronic devices.

Accurate Beam Profile Characterization in THz Transmission Imaging Systems

Beam profiling in terahertz systems based on a 4f configuration is revised to show that usual practices underestimate the beam waist due to the narrow point spread function of the detection arm. A rigorous assessment of the beam propagation shows that, by changing the focal distance of one of the focusing elements (lenses or parabolic mirrors), the beam profile can be obtained more accurately. Simulations of beam propagation were performed in order to validate the technique and in order to devise a calibration method that improves the accuracy of the profiling measurement. Measurements in both 4f and new configurations were also performed to check the consistency of the simulations.

Simulations of the Self-Focused Pseudospark-Sourced Electron Beam in a Background Ion Channel

Using pseudospark discharge sourced electron beams for the generation of high-peak-power millimeter and terahertz radiation has attracted increasing research interest in recent years. However, one of the crucially important and hitherto unanswered questions is what is the upper-frequency limit at which millimeter-wave devices can be driven by pseudospark discharge sourced electron beams?. In this paper, we studied this question from the perspective of beam transportation in a plasma background, more specifically an ion channel using particle-in-cell simulations to find the limitations. The parameter ranges of the beam transportation with small oscillations in the beam diameter were investigated and summarized, through simulations of beam propagation in a large diameter drift tube with different ion densities, plasma electron densities, beam density distributions, and beam energies. The beam transportation in a small diameter beam tunnel was also simulated. It showed the maximum beam current with a small velocity spread that can be transported in the beam tunnel was determined by the diameter of the beam tunnel and the ion density. High injected current will cause significant beam loss and reduce the overall efficiency. The simulation results indicate a minimum diameter of the beam tunnel in a millimeter-wave circuit that can be effectively driven by a pseudospark-sourced electron beam. The equivalent upper limit in the operating frequency is about 400 GHz.

Simulations of proton beam propagation in matter using entropic moment method

SynopsisAtomic interactions of ions with the penetrated medium lead to a strong evolution of ion charge-state fractions as a function of the target thickness. In this paper, we present a fast and accurate method in order to simulate the slowing-down of ions in matter. Our model relies on the averaging of the transport equation leading to fast simulations of the deposited dose by particles beam. Simulations have been performed for the case of proton beams propagating through water. Results have been compared with Monte Carlo simulations.

Dielectric metamaterials with quasicrystal structure

Three types of quasicrystal lattices based on the Penrose tiling are considered. We analyze the maximum filling fraction of these structures and find a design with the filling fraction corresponding to the case of periodic lattices. By using simulations of a Gaussian beam propagation through the quasicrystal structure we obtain a homogeneous field distribution that is a hallmark of near-zero regimes in metamaterials.

Peculiarities in the Distribution of Temperature under the Influence of a Laser Beam in a Multilayered Medium

One of the most widely used ways for modeling the propagation of laser beams in biological tissues is through the Monte Carlo method. This article focuses on the distribution of temperature in human skin based on the results of the Monte Carlo method for a laser beam with wavelength of 800. A mathematical model of the heat transfer process, based on the solution of the differential equations through the finite element method, was introduced. Simulations of the laser beam propagation and the distribution of temperature in the skin were performed for two types of beams. The results of this work can be used to make an assessment of the energy levels of pulse laser radiation with different durations, during which a damage of biological tissue is observed, as well as to create standards for the safe use of laser systems.

Efficient, nonlinear phase estimation with the nonmodulated pyramid wavefront sensor.

The sensitivity of the pyramid wavefront sensor (PyWFS) has made it a popular choice for astronomical adaptive optics (AAO) systems. The PyWFS is at its most sensitive when it is used without modulation of the input beam. In nonmodulated mode, the device is highly nonlinear. Hence, all PyWFS implementations on current AAO systems employ modulation to make the device more linear. The upcoming era of 30-m class telescopes and the demand for ultra-precise wavefront control stemming from science objectives that include direct imaging of exoplanets make using the PyWFS without modulation desirable. This article argues that nonlinear estimation based on Newton's method for nonlinear optimization can be useful for mitigating the effects of nonlinearity in the nonmodulated PyWFS. The proposed approach requires all optical modeling to be pre-computed, which has the advantage of avoiding real-time simulations of beam propagation. Further, the required real-time calculations are amenable to massively parallel computation. Numerical experiments simulate a PyWFS with faces sloped 3.7° to the horizontal, operating at a wavelength of 0.85μm, and with an index of refraction of 1.45. A singular value analysis shows that the common practice of calculating two "slope" images from the four PyWFS pupil images discards critical information and is unsuitable for the nonmodulated PyWFS simulated here. Instead, this article advocates estimators that use the raw pixel values not only from the four geometrical images of the pupil, but from surrounding pixels as well. The simulations indicate that nonlinear estimation can be effective when the Strehl ratio of the input beam is greater than 0.3, and the improvement relative to linear estimation tends to increase at larger Strehl ratios. At Strehl ratios less than about 0.5, the performances of both the nonlinear and linear estimators are relatively insensitive to noise since they are dominated by nonlinearity error.

Simulating non-Kolmogorov turbulence phase screens based on equivalent structure constant and its influence on simulations of beam propagation

Gaussian distribution is used to describe the power law along the propagation path and phase screen of the non-Kolmogorov turbulence is proposed based on the equivalent refractive-index structure constants. Various simulations of Gaussian beam propagation in Kolmogorov and non-Kolmogorov turbulence are used for telling the difference between isotropic and anisotropic turbulence. The results imply that the non-Kolmogorov turbulence makes a great influence on the simulations via power law in spectrum and the number of phase screens. Furthermore, the influence is mainly reflected in light intensity and beam drift. Statistics suggest that when Gaussian beam propagate through single phase screen of non-Kolmogorov, maximum and uniformity of light intensity increase first and then decrease with power law, and beam drift firstly increases and then to stabilize. When Gaussian beam propagate through multiple phase screens, relative errors of beam drift decrease with the number of phase screens. And scintillation indices in non-Kolmogorov turbulence is larger than that in Kolmogorov turbulence when the number is small. When the number is big, the scintillation indices in non-Kolmogorov turbulence is smaller than that in Kolmogorov turbulence. The results shown in this paper demonstrate the effect of the non-Kolmogorov turbulence on laser atmospheric transmissions. Thus, this paper suggests a possible direction of the improvement of the laser transmission accuracy over a long distance through the atmosphere.

Giant irradiance spikes in laser beam propagation in volume turbulence: analysis and impact

In the wave-optics numerical simulations of laser beam propagation in volume atmospheric turbulence, we observe irregular appearance of giant intensity spikes with amplitudes exceeding the diffraction-limited intensity value by a factor of ten or even more. The presence of giant spikes may explain the existing significant difference between the scintillation index theoretical prediction and the results obtained in numerical simulation and experimental measurements. The giant spikes’ physics-based origin, probability of appearance, and impact on irradiance scintillation index are analyzed.

Effects of beam-plasma instabilities on neutralized propagation of intense ion beams in background plasma

The streaming of an intense ion beam relative to background plasma can cause the development of fast electrostatic collective instabilities. The plasma waves produced by the two-stream instability modify the ion beam current neutralization and produce non-linear average forces which can lead to defocusing of the ion beam. Recently, a theoretical model describing the average de-focusing forces acting on the beam ions has been developed, and the scalings of the forces with beam-plasma parameters have been identified (Startsev et al. in press[1]). These scalings can be used in the development of realistic ion beam compression scenarios in present and next-generation ion-beam-driven high energy density physics and heavy ion fusion experiments. In this paper the results of particle-in-cell simulations of ion beam propagation through neutralizing background plasma for NDCX-II parameters are presented. The simulation results show that the two-stream instability can play a significant role in the ion beam dynamics. The effects of velocity tilt on the development of the instability and ion beam compressibility for typical NDCX-II parameters are also simulated. It is shown that the two-stream instability may be an important factor in limiting the maximum longitudinal compression of the ion beam.

Comparison of measured with calculated dose distribution from a 120‐MeV electron beam from a laser‐plasma accelerator

To evaluate the dose distribution of a 120-MeV laser-plasma accelerated electron beam which may be of potential interest for high-energy electron radiation therapy. In the interaction between an intense laser pulse and a helium gas jet, a well collimated electron beam with very high energy is produced. A secondary laser beam is used to optically control and to tune the electron beam energy and charge. The potential use of this beam for radiation treatment is evaluated experimentally by measurements of dose deposition in a polystyrene phantom. The results are compared to Monte Carlo simulations using the geant4 code. It has been shown that the laser-plasma accelerated electron beam can deliver a peak dose of more than 1 Gy at the entrance of the phantom in a single laser shot by direct irradiation, without the use of intermediate magnetic transport or focusing. The dose distribution is peaked on axis, with narrow lateral penumbra. Monte Carlo simulations of electron beam propagation and dose deposition indicate that the propagation of the intense electron beam (with large self-fields) can be described by standard models that exclude collective effects in the response of the material. The measurements show that the high-energy electron beams produced by an optically injected laser-plasma accelerator can deliver high enough dose at penetration depths of interest for electron beam radiotherapy of deep-seated tumors. Many engineering issues must be resolved before laser-accelerated electrons can be used for cancer therapy, but they also represent exciting challenges for future research.

Microdrilling in steel using ultrashort pulsed laser beams with radial and azimuthal polarization

A linear to radial and/or azimuthal polarization converter (LRAC) has been inserted into the beam delivery of a micromachining station equipped with a picosecond laser system. Percussion drilling and helical drilling in steel have been performed using radially as well as azimuthally polarized infrared radiation at 1030 nm. The presented machining results are discussed on the basis of numerical simulations of the polarization-dependent beam propagation inside the fabricated capillaries.

Analyses of laser-plasma interactions in National Ignition Facility ignition targets

A capability to analyze laser-plasma interactions (LPI) for ignition targets to be fielded at the National Ignition Facility has been developed and exercised. LPI in these targets may cause direct energy loss (backscatter) or energy redirection (beam spray, deflection, and energy transfer). These analyses range from analyzing the gain exponents for backscatter and beam spray to performing massively parallel, three-dimensional simulations of laser beam propagation in the most promising candidate ignition target designs. In the former assessment, ignition designs are iterated to reduce the gain exponent values. In the latter, beam propagation simulations are performed to analyze the reflectivity and beam transmission of speckled laser beams in the computed plasma profiles of the ignition targets. In current ignition designs, laser reflectivity is calculated to be well below 10%.

A three-dimensional wide-angle BPM for optical waveguide structures

Algorithms for effective modeling of optical propagation in three- dimensional waveguide structures are critical for the design of photonic devices. We present a three-dimensional (3-D) wide-angle beam propagation method (WA-BPM) using Hoekstra's scheme. A sparse matrix algebraic equation is formed and solved using iterative methods. The applicability, accuracy and effectiveness of our method are demonstrated by applying it to simulations of wide-angle beam propagation, along with a technique for shifting the simulation window to reduce the dimension of the numerical equation and a threshold technique to further ensure its convergence. These techniques can ensure the implementation of iterative methods for waveguide structures by relaxing the convergence problem, which will further enable us to develop higher-order 3-D WA-BPMs based on Padé approximant operators.

Turbulence-induced measurement errors in coherent differential absorption lidar ground systems

The presence of atmospheric refractive turbulence makes it necessary to use simulations of beam propagation to examine the uncertainty added to the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurement process of a practical heterodyne lidar. The inherent statistic uncertainty of coherent return fluctuations in ground lidar systems profiling the atmosphere along slant paths with large elevation angles translates into a lessening of accuracy and sensitivity of any practical DIAL measurement. This technique opens the door to consider realistic, nonuniform atmospheric conditions for any DIAL instrument configuration.

Experimental simulations of beam propagation over large distances in a compact linear Paul trap

The Paul Trap Simulator Experiment (PTSX) is a compact laboratory experiment that places the physicist in the frame of reference of a long, charged-particle bunch coasting through a kilometers-long magnetic alternating-gradient (AG) transport system. The transverse dynamics of particles in both systems are described by similar equations, including nonlinear space-charge effects. The time-dependent voltages applied to the PTSX quadrupole electrodes are equivalent to the axially oscillating magnetic fields applied in the AG system. Experiments concerning the quiescent propagation of intense beams over large distances can then be performed in a compact and flexible facility. An understanding and characterization of the conditions required for quiescent beam transport, minimum halo particle generation, and precise beam compression and manipulation techniques, are essential, as accelerators and transport systems demand that ever-increasing amounts of space charge be transported. Application areas include ion-beam-driven high energy density physics, high energy and nuclear physics accelerator systems, etc. One-component cesium plasmas have been trapped in PTSX that correspond to normalized beam intensities, ŝ=ωp2(0)∕2ωq2, up to 80% of the space-charge limit where self-electric forces balance the applied focusing force. Here, ωp(0)=[nb(0)eb2∕mbϵ0]1∕2 is the on-axis plasma frequency, and ωq is the smooth-focusing frequency associated with the applied focusing field. Plasmas in PTSX with values of ŝ that are 20% of the limit have been trapped for times corresponding to equivalent beam propagation over 10km. Results are presented for experiments in which the amplitude of the quadrupole focusing lattice is modified as a function of time. It is found that instantaneous changes in lattice amplitude can be detrimental to transverse confinement of the charge bunch.