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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Effect of laser polarization on quantum electrodynamical cascading

Development of quantum electrodynamical (QED) cascades in a standing electromagnetic wave for circular and linear polarizations is simulated numerically with a 3D PIC-MC code. It is demonstrated that for the same laser energy the number of particles produced in a circularly polarized field is greater than in a linearly polarized field, though the acquiring mean energy per particle is larger in the latter case. The qualitative model of laser-assisted QED cascades is extended by including the effect of polarization of the field. It turns out that cascade dynamics is notably more complicated in the case of linearly polarized field, where separation into the qualitatively different “electric” and “magnetic” regions (where the electric field is stronger than the magnetic field and vice versa) becomes essential. In the “magnetic” regions, acceleration is suppressed, and moreover the high-energy electrons are even getting cooled by photon emission. The volumes of the “electric” and “magnetic” regions evolve periodically in time and so does the cascade growth rate. In contrast to the linear polarization, the charged particles can be accelerated by circularly polarized wave even in “magnetic region.” The “electric” and “magnetic” regions do not evolve in time, and cascade growth rate almost does not depend on time for circular polarization.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Theory of Lamb Shift in Muonic Hydrogen

There has been for a while a large discrepancy between the values of the proton charge radius measured by the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen and by other methods. It has already been clear that theory of muonic hydrogen is reliable at the level of this discrepancy and an error there cannot be a reason for the contradiction. Still the status of theory at the level of the uncertainty of the muonic-hydrogen experiment (which is two orders of magnitude below the discrepancy level) requires an additional clarification. Here, we revisit theory of the 2p − 2s Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen. We summarize all the theoretical contributions in order α{sup 5}m, including pure quantum electrodynamics (QED) ones as well as those which involve the proton-structure effects. Certain enhanced higher-order effects are also discussed. We basically confirm former QED calculations of other authors, present a review of recent calculations of the proton-structure effects, and treat self-consistently higher-order proton-finite-size corrections. We also overview theory of the 2p states. Eventually, we derive a value of the root-mean-square proton charge radius. It is found to be 0.840 29(55) fm, which is slightly different from that previously published in the literature (0.840 87(39) fm [Antognini et al., Science 339, 417 (2013)])

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Theory of Bound-Electron g Factor in Highly Charged Ions

The paper presents the current status of the theory of bound-electron g factor in highly charged ions. The calculations of the relativistic, quantum electrodynamics (QED), nuclear recoil, nuclear structure, and interelectronic-interaction corrections to the g factor are reviewed. Special attention is paid to tests of QED effects at strong coupling regime and determinations of the fundamental constants.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dense electron-positron plasmas and gamma-ray bursts generation by counter-propagating quantum electrodynamics-strong laser interaction with solid targets

We use quantum electrodynamics (QED) particle-in-cell simulations to investigate and compare the generation of dense electron-positron plasmas and intense γ-ray bursts in the case of counter-propagating laser solid interaction (two-side irradiation) and single laser solid interaction (one-side irradiation). In the case of counter-propagating linearly polarized laser pulses irradiating a thin aluminum foil with each pulse peak power of 12.5 PW (I = 4 × 10{sup 23 }W/cm{sup 2}), we calculate that about 20% of the laser energy is converted into a burst of γ-rays with flux exceeding 10{sup 14 }s.{sup −1} This would be one of the most intense γ-ray sources among those currently available in laboratories. The γ-ray conversion efficiency in the case of two-side irradiation is three times higher than in the case of one-side irradiation using a single 12.5 PW laser. Dense electron-positron plasma with a maximum density of 6 × 10{sup 27 }m{sup −3} are generated simultaneously during the two-side irradiation which is eightfold denser compared to the one-side irradiation. The enhancement of the effects in the case of counter-propagating lasers are the results of the symmetrical compression of the foil target and the formation of electric potential and standing wave around the target. Realizing experimentally the proposed counter-propagating QED-strong laser-solid interaction to produce dense electron-positron pairs and prolific γ-rays will be made possible by the Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics facility under construction.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Signatures of quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions

Electron dynamics in the collision of an electron beam with a high-intensity focused ultrashort laser pulse are investigated using three-dimensional QED particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, and the results are compared with those calculated by classical Landau and Lifshitz PIC simulations. Significant differences are observed from the angular dependence of the electron energy distribution patterns for the two different approaches, because photon emission is no longer well approximated by a continuous process in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. The stochastic nature of photon emission results in strong signatures of quantum radiation-reaction effects under certain conditions. We show that the laser spot size and duration greatly influence these signatures due to the competition of QED effects and the ponderomotive force, which is well described in the classical approximation. The clearest signatures of quantum radiation reaction are found in the limit of large laser spots and few cycle pulse durations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Relativistic plasma physics in supercritical fields

Since the invention of chirped pulse amplification, which was recognized by a Nobel Prize in physics in 2018, there has been a continuing increase in available laser intensity. Combined with advances in our understanding of the kinetics of relativistic plasma, studies of laser-plasma interactions are entering a new regime where the physics of relativistic plasmas is strongly affected by strong-field quantum electrodynamics (QED) processes, including hard photon emission and electron-positron (e⁻-e⁺) pair production. Additionally, this coupling of quantum emission processes and relativistic collective particle dynamics can result in dramatically new plasma physics phenomena, such as the generation of dense e⁻-e⁺ pair plasma from near vacuum, complete laser energy absorption by QED processes, or the stopping of an ultra-relativistic electron beam, which could penetrate a cm of lead, by a hair's breadth of laser light. In addition to being of fundamental interest, it is crucial to study this new regime to understand the next generation of ultra-high intensity laser-matter experiments and their resulting applications, such as high energy ion, electron, positron, and photon sources for fundamental physics studies, medical radiotherapy, and next generation radiography for homeland security and industry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Plasma physics in strong-field regimes: Theories and simulations

In strong electromagnetic fields, unique plasma phenomena and applications emerge whose description requires recently developed theories and simulations [Y. Shi, Ph.D. thesis, Princeton University (2018)]. In the classical regime, to quantify effects of strong magnetic fields on three-wave interactions, a convenient formula is derived by solving the fluid model to the second order in general geometry. As an application, magnetic resonances are exploited to mediate laser pulse compression, whereby higher intensity pulses can be produced in wider frequency ranges, as confirmed by particle-in-cell simulations. In even stronger fields, relativistic-quantum effects become important, and a plasma model based on scalar quantum electrodynamics (QED) is developed which unveils observable corrections to Faraday rotation and cyclotron absorption in strongly magnetized plasmas. Beyond the perturbative regime, lattice QED is extended as a numerical tool for plasma physics, using which the transition from wakefield acceleration to electron-positron pair production is captured when laser intensity exceeds the Schwinger threshold.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

A scanning resonator for probing quantum coherent devices

Superconducting resonators with high quality factors are extremely sensitive detectors of the complex impedance of materials and devices coupled to them. This capability has been used to measure losses in multiple different materials and, in the case of circuit quantum electrodynamics (circuit QED), has been used to measure the coherent evolution of multiple different types of qubits. Here, we report on the implementation of a scanning resonator for probing quantum coherent devices. Our scanning setup enables tunable coherent coupling to systems of interest without the need for fabricating on-chip superconducting resonators. We measure the internal quality factor of our resonator sensor in the single-photon regime to be >104 and demonstrate capacitive imaging using our sensor with zeptoFarad sensitivity and micron spatial resolution at milliKelvin temperatures. We then use our setup to characterize the energy spectrum and coherence times of multiple transmon qubits with no on-chip readout circuitry. Our experiments introduce a new tool for using circuit QED to measure existing and proposed qubit platforms.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Quantum electrodynamic cascade structure in a standing linearly polarised wave

We have performed an analysis of plasma structures formed as a result of the quantum electrodynamic (QED) cascade development in the field of a standing linearly polarised plane wave at various field amplitudes. In view of the spatially inhomogeneous cascade dynamics and complicated particle motion, it is proposed to use spatial distributions of plasma density averaged over the half-period of the field, i.e. integral structures. Based on the analysis of of particle trajectories and integral structures with and without allowance for the QED cascade, various plasma structures are revealed and the amplitude thresholds of their occurrence are determined. It is shown that the integral structure maxima may arise not only at the electric field nodes or antinodes, as in a circularly polarised field, but also in the intermediate regions between them. (paper)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dual-rail encoding with superconducting cavities

The design of quantum hardware that reduces and mitigates errors is essential for practical quantum error correction (QEC) and useful quantum computation. To this end, we introduce the circuit-Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) dual-rail qubit in which our physical qubit is encoded in the single-photon subspace, { | 01 〉 , | 10 〉 } , of two superconducting microwave cavities. The dominant photon loss errors can be detected and converted into erasure errors, which are in general much easier to correct. In contrast to linear optics, a circuit-QED implementation of the dual-rail code offers unique capabilities. Using just one additional transmon ancilla per dual-rail qubit, we describe how to perform a gate-based set of universal operations that includes state preparation, logical readout, and parametrizable single and two-qubit gates. Moreover, first-order hardware errors in the cavities and the transmon can be detected and converted to erasure errors in all operations, leaving background Pauli errors that are orders of magnitude smaller. Hence, the dual-rail cavity qubit exhibits a favorable hierarchy of error rates and is expected to perform well below the relevant QEC thresholds with today’s coherence times.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2014

The CTA sensitivity to Lorentz-violating effects on the gamma-ray horizon

The arrival of TeV-energy photons from distant galaxies is expected to be affected by their QED interaction with intergalactic radiation fields through electron-positron pair production. In theories where high-energy photons violate Lorentz symmetry, the kinematics of the process γ+γ→e{sup +}+e{sup −} is altered and the cross section suppressed. Consequently, one would expect more of the highest-energy photons to arrive if QED is modified by Lorentz violation than if it is not. We estimate the sensitivity of Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to changes in the gamma-ray horizon of the Universe due to Lorentz violation, and find that it should be competitive with other leading constraints.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Inflationary magnetogenesis and non-local actions: the conformal anomaly

We discuss the possibility of successful magnetogenesis during inflation by employing the one-loop effective action of massless QED. The action is strictly non-local and results from the long distance fluctuations of massless charged particles present at the inflationary scale. Most importantly, it encodes the conformal anomaly of QED which is crucial to avoid the vacuum preservation in classical electromagnetism. In particular, we find a blue spectrum for the magnetic field with spectral index n{sub B} ≅ 2 − α{sub e} where α{sub e} depends on both the number of e-folds during inflation as well as the coefficient of the one-loop beta function. In particular, the sign of the beta function has important bearing on the final result. A low reheating temperature is required for the present day magnetic field to be consistent with the lower bound inferred on the field in the intergalactic medium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optically accessible high-finesse millimeter-wave resonator for cavity quantum electrodynamics with atom arrays

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) is a powerful tool in quantum science, enabling preparation of nonclassical states of light and scalable entanglement of many atoms coupled to a single field mode. While the most coherent atom-photon interactions have been achieved using superconducting millimeter-wave cavities coupled to Rydberg atoms, these platforms so far lack the optical access required for trapping and addressing individual atomic qubits. We present a millimeter-wave Fabry-Pérot cavity with finesse 5.8⁢(1) ×10 7 at a temperature of 1 K providing generous transverse optical access (numerical aperture 0.56). Conflicting goals of strong atom-photon coupling and optical access motivate a near-confocal geometry. Close to confocality, however, postparaxial corrections to the cavity spectrum introduce unexpected degeneracies between transverse modes, leading to excess cavity loss. Modeling these corrections allows for tuning the cavity geometry to evade this loss, producing a high finesse that will enable cavity QED experiments with trapped atoms deep in the strong coupling regime.

Zhang, Tony [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); S↗
DOE OSTI2016

Avoided level crossings in very highly charged ions

In this paper, we report a systematic measurement of the (2p$-1\atop{1/2}$3d 3/2 ) J=1 and (2s$-1\atop{1/2}$3p 1/2 ) J=1 levels in 14 neonlike ions between Ba 46+ and Pb 72+ and document the effects of their avoided crossing near Z = 68. Strong mixing affects the oscillator strengths over a surprisingly wide range of atomic numbers and leads to the vanishing of one transition two atomic numbers below the crossing. The crossing voids the otherwise correct expectation that the (2p$-1\atop{1/2}$3d 3/2 ) J=1 level energy is only weakly affected by quantum electrodynamics (QED). For about 10 atomic numbers surrounding the crossing, its QED contributions are anomalously large, attaining almost equality to those affecting the (2s$-1\atop{1/2}$3p 1/2 ) J=1 level. As a result, the accuracy of energy level calculations appears compromised near the crossing.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Metallic phases from disordered (2+1)-dimensional quantum electrodynamics

Metallic phases have been observed in several disordered two-dimensional (2D) systems, including thin films near superconductor-insulator transitions and quantum Hall systems near plateau transitions. The existence of 2D metallic phases at zero temperature generally requires an interplay of disorder and interaction effects. Consequently, experimental observations of 2D metallic behavior have largely defied explanation. We formulate a general stability criterion for strongly interacting, massless Dirac fermions against disorder, which describe metallic ground states with vanishing density of states. We show that (2+1)-dimensional quantum electrodynamics (QED 3 ) with a large, even number of fermion flavors remains metallic in the presence of weak scalar potential disorder due to the dynamic screening of disorder by gauge fluctuations. In conclusion, we also show that QED 3 with weak mass disorder exhibits a stable, dirty metallic phase in which both interactions and disorder play important roles.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Renormalization scale setting for heavy quark pair production in $e^+e^–$ annihilation near the threshold region

Heavy fermion pair production in e + e – annihilation is a fundamental process in hadron physics and is of considerable interest for various phenomena. In this paper, we will apply the principle of maximum conformality (PMC) to provide a comprehensive analysis of these processes. The PMC provides a systematic, unambiguous method for determining the renormalization scales of the QCD coupling constant for single-scale and multiple-scale applications. The resulting predictions eliminate any renormalization scheme-and-scale ambiguities, eliminate the factorial renormalon divergences, and are consistent with the requirements of the renormalization group. It is remarkable that two distinctly different scales are determined by using the PMC for heavy fermion pair production near the threshold region. One scale is the order of the fermion mass m f , which enters the hard virtual corrections, and the other scale is of order v m f , where v is the quark velocity, which enters the Coulomb rescattering amplitude. The PMC scales yield the correct physical behavior and reflect the virtuality of the propagating gluons (photons) for the QCD (QED) processes. Moreover, we demonstrate the consistency of PMC scale setting from QCD to QED. Perfect agreement between the Abelian unambiguous Gell-Mann-Low and the PMC scale-setting methods in the limit of zero number of colors is demonstrated.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Massless and massive photons within basis light-front quantization

We compute the structure function, transverse momentum dependent parton distributions (TMDs), and generalized parton distributions (GPDs) for the photon from the light-front quantum electrodynamics (QED) Hamiltonian, determined for its constituent bare photon and electron-positron Fock components within the basis light-front quantization framework. While the structure function and GPDs align well with expectations, some oscillatory behavior in the TMDs emerges as a finite-basis artifact. We also compute the GPD and the corresponding structure function for the longitudinal polarization mode of the massive photon. We further study the photon mass dependence of the calculated observables. After performing nonperturbative renormalization, we obtain a good quality description of the perturbative QED properties of the photon, as well as good agreement with the experimental data for the massless photon’s structure function.

Ab initio calculations↗