Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic extent.This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the lab...Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic extent.This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the laboratory.A particularly distinct signature of the resulting optical activity of the quantum vacuum is vacuum birefringence.This offers an excellent opportunity for a precision test of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in an uncharted parameter regime.Recently,the operation of the high-intensity Relativistic Laser at the X-ray Free Electron Laser provided by the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields has been inaugurated at the High Energy Density scientific instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser.We make the case that this worldwide unique combination of an X-ray free-electron laser and an ultra-intense near-infrared laser together with recent advances in high-precision X-ray polarimetry,refinements of prospective discovery scenarios and progress in their accurate theoretical modelling have set the stage for performing an actual discovery experiment of quantum vacuum nonlinearity.展开更多
We present a study of laser-driven ion acceleration with micrometre and sub-micrometre thick targets,which focuses on the enhancement of the maximum proton energy and the total number of accelerated particles at the P...We present a study of laser-driven ion acceleration with micrometre and sub-micrometre thick targets,which focuses on the enhancement of the maximum proton energy and the total number of accelerated particles at the PHELIX facility.Using laser pulses with a nanosecond temporal contrast of up to 10^-12 and an intensity of the order of 1020 W/cm^2,proton energies up to 93 MeV are achieved.Additionally,the conversion efficiency at 45°incidence angle was increased when changing the laser polarization to p,enabling similar proton energies and particle numbers as in the case of normal incidence and s-polarization,but reducing the debris on the last focusing optic.展开更多
基金funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(DFG,German Research Foundation)under Grants Nos.392856280,416611371,416607684,416702141 and 416708866 within the Research Unit FOR2783/2 and Project-ID 278162697–SFB 1242.
文摘Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic extent.This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the laboratory.A particularly distinct signature of the resulting optical activity of the quantum vacuum is vacuum birefringence.This offers an excellent opportunity for a precision test of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in an uncharted parameter regime.Recently,the operation of the high-intensity Relativistic Laser at the X-ray Free Electron Laser provided by the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields has been inaugurated at the High Energy Density scientific instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser.We make the case that this worldwide unique combination of an X-ray free-electron laser and an ultra-intense near-infrared laser together with recent advances in high-precision X-ray polarimetry,refinements of prospective discovery scenarios and progress in their accurate theoretical modelling have set the stage for performing an actual discovery experiment of quantum vacuum nonlinearity.
基金This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014–2018 and 2019–2020 under grant agreement No.633053.
文摘We present a study of laser-driven ion acceleration with micrometre and sub-micrometre thick targets,which focuses on the enhancement of the maximum proton energy and the total number of accelerated particles at the PHELIX facility.Using laser pulses with a nanosecond temporal contrast of up to 10^-12 and an intensity of the order of 1020 W/cm^2,proton energies up to 93 MeV are achieved.Additionally,the conversion efficiency at 45°incidence angle was increased when changing the laser polarization to p,enabling similar proton energies and particle numbers as in the case of normal incidence and s-polarization,but reducing the debris on the last focusing optic.
