Plasma Photonics: Manipulating Light Using Plasmas

Project Overview

In this LDRD, we made significant advances on multiple fronts on the investigation and design of plasma-based optical structures to manipulate light at extreme intensities. We have unveiled new fundamental properties of laser–plasma interaction that were leveraged to introduce transformative applications. We first investigated new ways to use the auto-resonance mechanism in order to produce refractive structures in plasmas with minimal amounts of laser energy. New insights into the interaction of such plasma structures with light waves allowed us to propose new methods for polarization manipulation and control for high-intensity lasers in the nonlinear regime, i.e., allowing the manipulation of an intense laser via its interaction with a less intense "control" laser beam in plasmas. Another application that we demonstrated experimentally is the capability to manipulate the velocity of light waves in plasmas by tailoring its refractive index; we reported the first demonstration of "slow light" and supraluminal light propagation in plasmas. We also developed a new technological concept that would allow the probing of the type of plasma structures investigated in such applications, using high-bandwidth laser probing. Finally, first steps were taken towards the demonstration of a plasma-based amplifier and compressor for the National Ignition Facility, in order to achieve powers equal to or greater than those delivered by the Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC). This technique uses a plasma-based grating acting like a compressor and amplifier, which could potentially compress and amplify an 88-picosecond (ps), 56-Joule (J) beam from the National Ignition Facility to less than 10 ps and hundreds of J.

Mission Impact

Plasma photonics is a potentially transformational area of research, which could lead to a new generation of plasma-based optical components allowing the breaking of the current limit on power and intensity of high-power lasers, while reducing their costs and footprint. It is also closely connected to fundamental laser–plasma interaction physics, which is a crucial aspect of inertial confinement fusion and high-energy density science. Through this project we have increased our existing collaborations with UC Berkeley and also developed new collaborations with Princeton and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Our results were presented at many conferences and led to five publications in refereed journals, including one Physics Review X and one Physics Review Letters, as well as to records of invention with two more waiting to be submitted. This research advances the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory core competency in lasers and optical science and technology, which furthermore serves a number of NNSA stockpile stewardship mission areas including inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

P. Michel, E. Kur, M. Lazarow, T. Chapman, L. Divol and J. S. Wurtele, "Polarization-dependent theory of two wave mixing in non-linear media, and application to dynamical polarization control," Phys. Rev. X 10, 021039 (2020).

E. Kur, M. Lazarow, J. S. Wurtele and P. Michel, "Nonlinear polarization transfer and control of two laser beams overlapping in a uniform nonlinear medium," Optics Express 29, 1162 (2021).

J. D. Ludwig, P. Michel, T. Chapman, M. A. Belyaev and W. Rozmus, "Single shot high bandwidth laser plasma probe," Phys. Plasmas 26, 113108 (2019).

L. Friedland, G. Marcus, J. Wurtele, and P. Michel, "Excitation and control of large amplitude standing ion acoustic waves," Phys. Plasmas 26, 092109 (2019).

P. Michel et al., "Manipulating light using plasmas: polarization control, slow & fast light." European Physical Society Conference 2021 (invited talk).

P. Michel et al., "Recent developments in plasma photonics: polarization manipulation and slow & fast light using plasmas." CHILI 2019 (Conference on High Intensity Laser and attosecond science in Israel), Tev Aviv.

L. Friedland, G. Markus, J. S. Wurtele and P. Michel, "Autoresonant Excitation of Large Amplitude Ion Acoustic Waves." Anomalous Absorption Conference 2019, Telluride, CO.

E. Kur, M. Lazarow, J.S. Wurtele, and P. Michel, "Formal Developments for Studying Laser Beams Intersecting in a Plasma." Anomalous Absorption Conference 2019, Telluride, CO.

M. Lazarow, E. Kur, J.S. Wurtele, and P. Michel, "Polarization Exchange of Laser Beams Intersecting in a Plasma." Anomalous Absorption Conference 2019, Telluride, CO.

J. Ludwig, P. Michel, T. Chapman, M. Belyaev, and W. Rozmus, "Design of a high-bandwidth probe laser for LPI and plasma photonics experiments." Anomalous Absorption Conference 2019, Telluride, CO.

P. Michel, E. Kur, M. Lazarow, T. Chapman, L. Divol, C. Goyon, M. R. Edwards, D. Turnbull, G. Marcus, L. Friedland and J. S. Wurtele, "Non-linear polarization mixing in non-linear optical media." Anomalous Absorption Conference 2019, Telluride, CO.

P. Michel, "Non-linear optics of plasmas," invited seminar, Princeton University (March 2020).

C. Goyon, M. R. Edwards, T. Chapman, L. Divol, N. Lemos, G. J. Williams, D. A. Mariscal, D. P. Turnbull, A. M. Hansen, and P. Michel, "Slow and fast light in plasma." American Physical Society / Division of Plasma Physics conference 2020, November 2020 (virtual).

P. Michel, E. Kur, M. Lazarow, T. Chapman, L. Divol, C. Goyon, M. R. Edwards, D. Turnbull, G. Marcus, L. Friedland and J. S. Wurtele, "Manipulating the polarization state of an intense laser beam in a plasma using a less intense auxiliary laser." American Physical Society / Division of Plasma Physics conference 2019, November 2019, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

E. Kur, M. Lazarow, J.S. Wurtele, and P. Michel, "Nonlinear polarization mixing of laser beams interacting with a plasma." American Physical Society / Division of Plasma Physics conference 2019, November 2019, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

J. Ludwig, P. Michel and W. Rozmus, "Implementation of a high-bandwidth probe on OSL." Anomalous Absorption Conference 2018, Bar Harbor, ME.

J. Ludwig, P. Michel, W. Rozmus, T. Chapman and M. Belyaev, "Single shot mapping of complex plasma refractive index using a high-bandwidth probe." American Physical Society / Division of Plasma Physics conference 2018, November 2018, Portland, OR.

M. Lazarow, E. Kur, J.S. Wurtele, and P. Michel, "Energy and polarization exchange during simultaneous interactions between many laser beams in plasmas." American Physical Society / Division of Plasma Physics conference 2018, November 2018, Portland, OR.