Description
Recent research into the high-intensity laser-driven surface plasmon excitation has revealed the significant potential of generating extremely strong (~TV/m) fields for particle acceleration and radiation production. This new approach has emerged by overcoming several challenges in laser-solid interactions. It therefore holds great promise for reshaping the research direction of large-scale facilities that pursue the energy frontier and micro-scale facilities that require great flexibility. At the same time, this research can provide new insights into the extremely complex nonlinear dynamics of surface plasmons (SPs) in strong fields and a new, unexplored regime of plasma-based particle acceleration.
In this study, we theoretically and numerically investigate the high-intensity laser-driven excitation of relativistic surface plasmons on the micro-scaled surfaces of structured nanomaterials, such as vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) forests. This enables the TV/m-level plasma wakefield generation for both negatively and positively charged particle acceleration [1-3]. By investigating SP mode selection on cylindrical surfaces, we have proposed a new principle for coherent radiation generation that differs fundamentally from traditional superradiance [4]. Our research offers a new approach to the development of ultrahigh-gradient and ultra-compact particle accelerators.
Reference:
[1] Bifeng Lei et al. 2025 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 67 065036
[2] Bifeng Lei et al. 2025 New J. Phys. 27 084301
[3] Cristian Bonţoiu et al. Sci Rep 15, 45323 (2025).
[4] Bifeng Lei et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 205001 (2025)