Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Potential Due to a Polarized Object

Potential Due to a Polarized Object

A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Portable Home-Use Triglyceride Meter Demonstrates Good Agreement With Plasma Laboratory Measures During Pregnancies Complicated by Metabolic Disease.

Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism·2026

Same author

External validation of a pre-trained hybrid convolutional neural network in radiographers agreement of positioning in lateral knee radiographs.

Radiography (London, England : 1995)·2026

Same author

Metastable level in Ni-like ions and time-resolved extreme-ultraviolet observation of Xe ions in an electron beam ion trap.

Physical review. E·2026

Same author

Input to the European strategy for particle physics: strong-field quantum electrodynamics.

European physical journal plus·2025

Same author

Oxygen Opacity Measurements at High-Energy-Density Conditions.

Physical review letters·2025

Same author

Delphi study to develop a core outcome set for inpatient pain assessment after cesarean delivery.

Anaesthesia, critical care & pain medicine·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Automated Delivery of Microfabricated Targets for Intense Laser Irradiation Experiments

Automated Delivery of Microfabricated Targets for Intense Laser Irradiation Experiments

Published on: January 28, 2021

Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator.

Y Ma¹, D Seipt¹, A E Hussein¹

¹Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.

Physical Review Letters

|April 4, 2020

Summary

Circularly polarized laser pulses significantly lower the self-injection threshold and increase electron beam charge in laser wakefield acceleration. This polarization dependence stems from enhanced electron momentum gain during ionization, facilitating easier trapping.

More Related Videos

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Published on: February 4, 2017

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Published on: February 28, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Automated Delivery of Microfabricated Targets for Intense Laser Irradiation Experiments

Automated Delivery of Microfabricated Targets for Intense Laser Irradiation Experiments

Published on: January 28, 2021

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Published on: February 4, 2017

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Published on: February 28, 2016

Area of Science:

Plasma Physics
Laser-Plasma Interactions
Particle Acceleration

Background:

Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) is a promising technique for generating high-energy particle beams.
The self-injection process is crucial for LWFA but often requires specific conditions.
Linear polarization has been the standard for laser pulses in LWFA experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of laser pulse polarization on self-injection in LWFA.
To compare the electron beam charge and injection threshold for circular versus linear polarization.
To elucidate the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for any observed differences.

Main Methods:

Experimental observation of LWFA using laser pulses with circular and linear polarization in nonpreformed plasma.
Quasi-3D particle-in-cell simulations to model the laser-plasma interaction and electron dynamics.
Spectroscopy of XUV plasma emission to diagnose plasma properties, including temperature.

Main Results:

A decreased self-injection threshold was experimentally observed for circularly polarized laser pulses compared to linear polarization.
Significantly higher electron beam charge was achieved with circular polarization across a range of experimental parameters.
Simulations indicated that circular polarization leads to a different injection mechanism, involving larger electron momentum gain during above-threshold ionization.

Conclusions:

Laser pulse polarization critically influences self-injection and electron beam characteristics in LWFA.
Circularly polarized pulses offer a pathway to more efficient electron trapping and higher beam charges due to enhanced ionization momentum gain.
The findings provide insights into optimizing LWFA performance by controlling laser polarization.