Laser-Plasma Interactions in Magnetized Environments

Project Overview

Existing laser–plasma interaction (LPI) models are restricted to the case where the plasma targets are unmagnetized. However, magnetic fields may be spontaneously generated and amplified during target compression. Moreover, in recent experiments, magnetic fields seeded by external coils have been shown to increase plasma temperatures and boost fusion yields. As magnetic fields ramp up beyond mega-gauss level during target compressions, they can strongly affect coupling between the drive lasers and the plasma targets, leading to effects that cannot be described using unmagnetized LPI models. Previous attempts to incorporate magnetization effects had only investigated a subset of special cases where the lasers are either propagating parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field. However, in many experimental settings, magnetic fields are oriented at oblique angles to the lasers.

The goal of this project is to understand magnetized LPI at oblique angles using analytical theories and numerical simulations. (1) We obtained resonant three-wave coupling coefficients for magnetized warm-fluid plasmas, which can be substituted into radiation-hydrodynamics codes to simulate magnetized laser-implosion experiments. To derive a general formula for the coupling coefficients, we analytically solved the fluid-Maxwell equations to second order using a perturbative analysis. The formula we obtained is applicable for arbitrary propagation angles and plasma conditions in the fluid regime. Software tools for evaluating the formula were developed and released to internal repository. (2) We carried out numerical simulations to benchmark analytical results and identified additional nonperturbative effects. Using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, we confirmed the unusually large coupling coefficients predicted by the formula at resonant magnetic fields in the fluid regime. Also using PIC simulations, we discovered that in the kinetic regime, oblique magnetic fields can strongly enhanced laser energy absorption. Moreover, we carried out three-wave simulations on quantum computers and achieved first-of-a-kind success using actual quantum hardware to solve a plasma-relevant problem. (3) We explored implications of magnetized LPI for plasma photonics applications and demonstrated unique capabilities of magnetized plasmas as nonlinear optical media. We showed that strong resonances provided by magnetized plasmas can be used to amplify optical laser pulses to unprecedented intensities. Moreover, we showed that magnetized plasmas can be used as amplifiers for mid-infrared lasers beyond what is achievable using solid-state technologies. Our findings also have implications for astrophysical plasmas and are being tested in experiments at the Omega Laser Facility.

Mission Impact

This research supports the NNSA goal of advancing the science, technology, and engineering competencies that are the foundations of NNSA missions. Specifically, this project addresses Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's research and development challenge in nuclear weapons science and supports its core competency in high-energy-density science, as well as lasers and optical science and technology. This research provided new capabilities for modeling magnetized high-energy-density experiments and developed science and technology tools and capabilities to meet future national security challenges.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

Edwards, Matthew R., Yuan Shi, Julia M. Mikhailova, and Nathaniel. J. Fisch. "Laser Amplification in Strongly Magnetized Plasma," Physical Review Letters, 123, 025001. 2019.

Gueroult, Renaud, Yuan Shi, Jean-Marcel Rax, and Nathaniel J. Fisch. 2019. "Determining the rotation direction in pulsars," Nature Communications, 10, 3232. 2019.

Gueroult, Renaud, Yuan Shi, Jean-Marcel Rax, and Nathaniel J. Fisch. "Mechanical Faraday to inform on pulsar rotation direction.” American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 2019.

Lau, Ryan Y., David J. Strozzi, and Yuan Shi. "Kinetic Simulations of Stimulated Whistler Scattering." American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2021.

Lau, Ryan Y., David J. Strozzi, and Yuan Shi. "Kinetic Simulations of Magnetized Laser-Plasma Interactions: Raman and Whistler Scattering." American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meeting, virtual. 2020.

Lau, Ryan Y., David J. Strozzi, and Yuan Shi.  "Kinetic Simulations of Magnetized Laser-Plasma Interactions." High Energy Density Physics Summer Student Symposium, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. 2019.

Manzo, Lili, Matthew R. Edwards, and Yuan Shi. "Nonlinear laser energy transduction in strongly magnetized plasmas." American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Meeting, to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2021.

Shi, Yuan, Hong Qin, and Nathaniel J. Fisch. "Plasma physics in strong-field regimes," Physics of Plasmas, 28, 042104. 2021.

Shi, Yuan, Alexandro R. Castelli, Xian Wu, Ilon Joseph, Vasily Geyko, Frank R. Graziani, Stephan B. Libby, Jeff B. Parker, Yaniv J. Rosen, Luiz A. Martinez, and Jonathan L DuBois. "Simulating nonnative cubic interactions on noisy quantum machines," Physical Review A, 103, 062608. 2021.

Shi, Yuan. "Are there phase transitions in strong-field regimes." 4^th Extremely High Intensity Laser Physics Conference, virtual. 2021.

Shi, Yuan. "Using quantum computers to simulate a toy problem of laser-plasma interactions." Geometric Algorithms and Methods in Physics Conference, virtual, invited. 2021.

Shi, Yuan. "Ultra-cool quantum computers for ultra-hot plasma physics." American Physical Society Annual Leadership Meeting, virtual, invited. 2021.

Shi, Yuan, Lili Manzo, and Matthew R. Edwards. 2021. "Enhancing hot electron generation via magnetized laser absorption," Multi-Petawatt Physics Prioritization Workshop, virtual. 2021.

Shi, Yuan. "Benchmarking magnetized three-wave coupling coefficients by comparing particle-in-cell simulations with analytic solutions in the linear regime." American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Meeting, to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2021.

Shi, Yuan, Alexandro R. Castelli, Xian Wu, Ilon Joseph, Vasily Geyko, Frank R. Graziani, Stephan B. Libby, Jeff B. Parker, Yaniv J. Rosen, Luiz A. Martinez, and Jonathan L DuBois. "Quantum simulation of nonlinear three-wave interactions with engineered cubic couplings." American Physical Society March meeting, virtual. 2020.

Shi, Yuan. "Simulating three-wave interactions on quantum computers. " American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meeting, virtual, invited, 2020.

Shi, Yuan. "Plasma Physics in strong-field regimes." American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meeting, virtual, invited, 2020.

Shi, Yuan. "Magnetization effects on backscattering and cross beam energy transfer." Inertial Confinement Fusion Fall Workshop, virtual. 2020.

Shi, Yuan. "Three-wave interactions in magnetized warm-fluid plasmas: general theory with evaluable coupling coefficient," Physical Review E, 99, 063212. 2019.

Shi, Yuan, and Nathaniel. J. Fisch. "Amplification of mid-infrared lasers via backscattering in magnetized plasmas," Physics of Plasmas, 26, 072114. 2019.

Shi, Yuan. "Three-wave interactions in magnetized warm-fluid plasmas." American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 2019.

Shi, Yuan. "What can we learn from solving classical field equations." 3^rd Extremely High Intensity Laser Physics Conference, Stanford, California. 2019.