Ultrastrong Fields Research Articles

Investigation of Fano resonance in planar metamaterial with perturbed periodicity

In this paper, we report the formation of sharp Fano resonance in planar metamaterial array with perturbed periodicity. Rigorous sheet impedance theory is given to analyze the electric-magnetic and magnetic-magnetic coupling effects. It is found that periodicity perturbation can provide a general approach for Fano resonance with ultra-strong local field enhancement.

Non-resonant terahertz field enhancement in periodically arranged nanoslits

We analyze ultra strong non-resonant field enhancement of THz field in periodic arrays of nanoslits cut in ultrathin metal films. The main feature of our approach is that the slit size and metal film thickness are several orders of magnitude smaller than the wavelength λ of the impinging radiation. Two regimes of operation are found. First, when the grating period P≪λ, frequency-independent enhancement is observed, accompanied by a very high transmission approaching unity. With high accuracy, this enhancement equals the ratio of P to the slit width w. Second, when the grating period approaches the THz wavelength but before entering the Raleigh-Wood anomaly, the field enhancement in nanoslit stays close to that in a single isolated slit, i.e., the well-known inverse-frequency dependence. Both regimes are non-resonant and thus extremely broadband for P<λ. The results are obtained by the microscopic Drude-Lorentz model taking into account retardation processes in the metal film and validated by the finite difference frequency domain method. We expect sensor and modulation applications of the predicted giant broadband field enhancement.

Optical nano-imaging of gate-tunable graphene plasmons

The ability to manipulate optical fields and the energy flow of light is central to modern information and communication technologies, as well as quantum information processing schemes. However, because photons do not possess charge, a way of controlling them efficiently by electrical means has so far proved elusive. A promising way to achieve electric control of light could be through plasmon polaritons—coupled excitations of photons and charge carriers—in graphene. In this two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms, it is expected that plasmon polaritons and their associated optical fields can readily be tuned electrically by varying the graphene carrier density. Although evidence of optical graphene plasmon resonances has recently been obtained spectroscopically, no experiments so far have directly resolved propagating plasmons in real space. Here we launch and detect propagating optical plasmons in tapered graphene nanostructures using near-field scattering microscopy with infrared excitation light. We provide real-space images of plasmon fields, and find that the extracted plasmon wavelength is very short—more than 40 times smaller than the wavelength of illumination. We exploit this strong optical field confinement to turn a graphene nanostructure into a tunable resonant plasmonic cavity with extremely small mode volume. The cavity resonance is controlled in situ by gating the graphene, and in particular, complete switching on and off of the plasmon modes is demonstrated, thus paving the way towards graphene-based optical transistors. This successful alliance between nanoelectronics and nano-optics enables the development of active subwavelength-scale optics and a plethora of nano-optoelectronic devices and functionalities, such as tunable metamaterials, nanoscale optical processing, and strongly enhanced light–matter interactions for quantum devices and biosensing applications.

Classical study of ultrastrong nonperturbative-field interactions with a one-electron atom: Validity of the dipole approximation for the bound-state interaction

We present a classical, relativistic Monte Carlo calculation investigating the role of the magnetic field in bound-state dynamics and ionization for atoms in ultrastrong external radiation fields. Atoms with atomic numbers $1\ensuremath{\leqslant}Z\ensuremath{\leqslant}20$ in external fields from 0.01 to ${10}^{3}$ a.u. are studied. We show that, when calculating ionization rates, the dipole approximation yields accurate values compared to a full classical electromagnetic laser field for intensities up to ${10}^{23}$ W/cm${}^{2}$. The calculations indicate that the quasistatic approximation is valid for external-field frequencies less than 1/20 of the Kepler-orbit time for the ionizing state. For ionization at fields above 100 a.u., the magnetic field affects the atom by altering the portion of the bound state that ionizes and deflecting the mean emission angle of the photoelectron angular distributions, although no change in the width of the final-state angular emission about this mean occurs. The photoelectron distribution and change in the ionizing bound state are seen as an indication of nonperturbative magnetic field effects for atoms in ultrastrong radiation fields.

Black-hole hair loss: Learning about binary progenitors from ringdown signals

Perturbed Kerr black holes emit gravitational radiation, which (for the practical purposes of gravitational-wave astronomy) consists of a superposition of damped sinusoids termed quasi-normal modes. The frequencies and time-constants of the modes depend only on the mass and spin of the black hole - a consequence of the no-hair theorem. It has been proposed that a measurement of two or more quasi-normal modes could be used to confirm that the source is a black hole and to test if general relativity continues to hold in ultra-strong gravitational fields. In this paper we propose a practical approach to testing general relativity with quasi-normal modes. We will also argue that the relative amplitudes of the various quasi-normal modes encode important information about the origin of the perturbation that caused them. This helps in inferring the nature of the perturbation from an observation of the emitted quasi-normal modes. In particular, we will show that the relative amplitudes of the different quasi-normal modes emitted in the process of the merger of a pair of nonspinning black holes can be used to measure the component masses of the progenitor binary.

The Effects of Charge On The Structure of Strange Stars

The effects of a charge distribution near the surface of a bare strange quark star is studied. The surface of these objects is characterized by the formation of an ultra-strong electric field, that maybe as high as 1018−19 V/cm. We model the charge distribution that originates such electric field as a narrow Gaussian distribution, centralized near the surface of the star. We will show that the charge may change the structure of the star substantially, possibly increasing its mass by 15%.

Dependence of carbon fragments from methane in strong and ultrastrong elliptically polarized laser fields

We present the ellipticity dependence of the ultrafast photoionization for Cn+ fragments from methane. The study extends from the strong field (C+, C2+) at 1014 W cm−2 to the ultrastrong field (C5+) at 1018 W cm−2. The measurements show that C+ and C2+ ionization have limited sensitivity to the field polarization. As the laser intensity and corresponding degree of ionization increase (C4+, C5+), the dependence on the field polarization increases. Comparison to a semi-classical field ionization model shows that the ellipticity dependence of the relative ion yield for higher charge states comes from the field dependence of tunnelling ionization rather than nonsequential ionization due to rescattering. A movement from a molecule-like response to an atom-like response with the increase in intensity is observed.

FROM CRUST TO CORE: A BRIEF REVIEW OF QUARK MATTER IN NEUTRON STARS

This paper provides a short overview of the multifaceted, possible role of quark matter for compact stars (neutron stars and strange quark matter stars). We began with a variational investigation of the maximum possible energy densities in the cores of neutron stars. This is followed by a brief discussion of the possible existence of quark matter in the cores of neutron stars and how such matter could manifest itself in neutron star observables. The possible presence of color superconducting strange quark matter nuggets in the crusts of neutron stars is reviewed next, and their impact on the pycnonuclear reaction rates in the crusts of neutron stars is discussed. The second part of the paper discusses the impact of ultra-strong electric fields on the bulk properties of strange quark matter stars and presents results of a preliminary study that models the thermal evolution of radio-quiet, X-ray bright, central compact objects (CCOs).

Ultrastrong Gravity-induced Unusual Reactivity in Radical Addition of Bromotrichloromethane to Ethyl Cinnamate

Abstract Radical addition of bromotrichloromethane to ethyl cinnamate was carried out under an ultrastrong gravitational field (>2.5 × 105 G), and ethyl 3-chloro-3-phenyl-2-(trichloromethyl)propionate (A), ethyl 3-bromo-3-phenyl-2-(trichloromethyl)propionate (B), and ethyl 2-bromo-3-phenyl-3-(trichloromethyl)propionate (C) were isolated by reversed-phase HPLC. To date, there has been no report of the synthesis of A and C at 1 G, and this would be the first example of a selectivity change induced by ultrastrong gravity.

Numerical aspects of low Mach number flows in astrophysics: preconditioning techniques

Internal flows inside gravitationally stable astrophysical objects, such as the Sun, normal and compact stars, are rotating, highly compressed and extremely subsonic. Such low Mach number flows are usually encountered when studying, for example, the dynamo action in stars and planets or the nuclear burst on neutron stars and white dwarfs. Handling of such flows numerically on time-scales longer than the dynamical one is complicated and challenging. The aim of this paper is to address the numerical problems associated with the modelling of internal quasi-stationary, rotating low Mach number flows in stars and to discuss possible solution scenarios. It is shown that the quasi-symmetric approximate factorization method (AFM) as a pre-conditioner within a non-linear Newton-type defect-correction solution procedure is best suited for modelling quasi-stationary weakly compressible flows with moderate low Mach numbers. This method is robust as it can be applied to model time-dependent compressible flows without further modifications. The AFM-pre-conditioning techniques are shown to be extendable into three dimensions with an arbitrary equation of state. Classical dimensional splitting techniques, however, such as the alternating direction implicit or line-Gauss–Seidel methods are not suited for modelling compressible low Mach number flows. It is also argued that hot and low Mach number astrophysical flows cannot be considered as an asymptotic limit of incompressible flows, but rather as highly compressed flows with extremely stiff pressure terms. We show that, unlike the pseudo-pressure in incompressible fluids, a Poisson-like treatment for the pressure would smooth unnecessarily physically induced acoustic perturbations, thereby violating the conservation of the total energy. Results of several hydrodynamical calculations are presented, which demonstrate the capability of the solver to search for solutions, that correspond to stationary, viscous and rotating flows with a Mach number as small as as well as to fluid flows that are subject to ultra-strong Newtonian and general relativistic gravitational fields.

Electrically charged strange quark stars

The possible existence of compact stars made of absolutely stable strange quark matter--referred to as strange stars--was pointed out by Witten almost a quarter of a century ago. One of the most amazing features of such objects concerns the possible existence of ultrastrong electric fields on their surfaces, which, for ordinary strange matter, is around 10{sup 18} V/cm. If strange matter forms a color superconductor, as expected for such matter, the strength of the electric field may increase to values that exceed 10{sup 19} V/cm. The energy density associated with such huge electric fields is on the same order of magnitude as the energy density of strange matter itself, which, as shown in this paper, alters the masses and radii of strange quark stars at the 15% and 5% levels, respectively. Such mass increases facilitate the interpretation of massive compact stars, with masses of around 2M{sub {center_dot}}, as strange quark stars.

Prevalence of the adiabatic exchange-correlation potential approximation in time-dependent density functional theory

Time-dependent (TD) density functional theory (TDDFT) promises a numerically tractable account of many-body electron dynamics provided good simple approximations are developed for the exchange-correlation (XC) potential functional (XCPF). The theory is usually applied within the adiabatic XCPF approximation, appropriate for slowly varying TD driving fields. As the frequency and strength of these fields grows, it is widely held that memory effects kick in and the eligibility of the adiabatic XCPF approximation deteriorates irreversibly. We point out, however, that when a finite system of electrons in its ground-state is gradually exposed to a very a high-frequency and eventually ultra-strong homogeneous electric field, the adiabatic XCPF approximation is in fact rigorously applicable. This result shows that adiabatic XCPF has a larger scope of applicability than previously suspected and in this sense is compliant with recent numerical findings by Thiele et al. [M. Thiele, E.K.U. Gross, S. Kümmel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100 (2008) 153004] of negligible memory effects in strong-field double ionization.

Sedimentation of Impurity Atoms in InSb Semiconductor under a Strong Gravitational Field

An atomic-scale graded structure has been formed by sedimentation of substitutional atoms under an ultra-strong gravitational field of 1 million G level in alloys and compounds. In this study, we investigate the sedimentation of impurity atoms in semiconductor materials under a strong gravitational field. High-temperature ultracentrifuge experiments (0.59×106 G, 400°C, 60 hours) have been performed on an InSb single crystal wafer which surface was coated with Ge by means of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). It was observed that the penetration depth of diffused Ge atoms under the gravitational field was several times larger than under terrestrial field at the same temperatures.

Exploring high-intensity QED at ELI

We give a non-technical overview of QED effects arising in the presence of ultra-strong electromagnetic fields highlighting the new prospects provided by a realisation of the ELI laser facility.

High Power Lasers and Their New Applications

Recent progress in high power lasers enables us to access a regime of high-energy-density and/or ultra-strong fields that was not accessible before, opening up a fundamentally new physical domain which includes laboratory astrophysics and laser nuclear physics. In this article, new applications of high-energy and ultra-intense laser will be reviewed.

Ionization of Methane in Strong and Ultrastrong Relativistic Fields

The photoionization of methane is reported for intensities up to 10(19) W/cm2 with linear and circular polarized light. While fragmental ions (e.g., CH3+, CH+, C+, C2+) created from 10(14) W/cm2 to 10(15) W/cm2 are formed by Coulomb explosion, ionization to form C3+ and C4+ involves Coulomb explosion and tunneling ionization. In ultrastrong fields, removal of a carbon K-shell electron from methane proceeds via tunneling and rescattering ionization, without the influence of molecular channels. Photoelectrons from methane at 10(19) W/cm2 extend up to kinetic energies of 0.6 MeV.

Dynamic Control of Laser-Produced Proton Beams

The emission characteristics of intense laser driven protons are controlled using ultrastrong (of the order of 10(9) V/m) electrostatic fields varying on a few ps time scale. The field structures are achieved by exploiting the high potential of the target (reaching multi-MV during the laser interaction). Suitably shaped targets result in a reduction in the proton beam divergence, and hence an increase in proton flux while preserving the high beam quality. The peak focusing power and its temporal variation are shown to depend on the target characteristics, allowing for the collimation of the inherently highly divergent beam and the design of achromatic electrostatic lenses.

Chemistry in Mega-gravity: Preparation of Molecular-scaled Graded Materials from Radical Copolymerization

Abstract The molecular-graded structures have been realized through direct copolymerization of halogenated styrene and 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate under ultra-strong gravitational field. The graded structures were clearly confirmed by EPMA and NMR spectroscopy.

Nuclear Signatures in High-Order Harmonic Generation from Laser-Driven Muonic Atoms

High-order harmonic generation from muonic atoms exposed to intense laser fields is considered. Our particular interest lies in effects arising from the finite nuclear mass and size. We numerically perform a fully quantum mechanical treatment of the muon-nucleus dynamics by employing modified soft-core and hard-core potentials. It is shown that the position of the high-energy cutoff of the harmonic spectrum depends on the nuclear mass, while the height of the spectral plateau is sensitive to the nuclear radius. We also demonstrate that gamma-ray harmonics can be generated from muonic atoms in ultrastrong VUV fields, which have potential to induce photonuclear reactions.

Oriented Nanofibers by a Newly Modified Electrospinning Method

Highly oriented zinc oxide nanofibers with a length of several centimeters are fabricated using a newly modified electrospinning method. Very different from the conventional electrospinning process, the fibers are collected between the electrodes. The key to success is the reduction of interelectrode distance and the use of an ultra strong electric field, which is about six times higher than conventional conditions.