No Arabic abstract
Deformations of horizontal liquid interfaces by optical radiation pressure are generally expected to display similar behaviors whatever the direction of propagation of the exciting laser beam is. In the present experiment we find this expectation to be borne out, as long as the cw laser illumination is moderate in strength. However, as a striking contrast in the case of high field strengths, we find that either a large stable tether can be formed, or else that a break-up of the interface can occur, depending on whether the laser beam is upward or downward directed. Physically, the reason for this asymmetry can be traced to whether total reflection can occur or not. We also present two simple theoretical models, one based on geometrical optics, the other on wave optics, that are able to illustrate the essence of the effect. In the case leading to interface disruption our experimental results are compared with those obtained by Zhang and Chang for water droplets under intense laser pulses [Opt. Lett. textbf{13}, 916 (1988)]. A key point in our experimental investigations is to work with a near-critical liquid/liquid interface. The surface tension becomes therefore significantly reduced, which thus enhances the magnitude of the stationary deformations induced.
The force of electromagnetic radiation on a dielectric medium may be derived by a direct application of the Lorentz law of classical electrodynamics. While the lights electric field acts upon the (induced) bound charges in the medium, its magnetic field exerts a force on the bound currents. We use the example of a wedge-shaped solid dielectric, immersed in a transparent liquid and illuminated at Brewsters angle, to demonstrate that the linear momentum of the electromagnetic field within dielectrics has neither the Minkowski nor the Abraham form; rather, the correct expression for momentum density has equal contributions from both. The time rate of change of the incident momentum thus expressed is equal to the force exerted on the wedge plus that experienced by the surrounding liquid.
Advanced diffractive films may afford advantages over passive reflective surfaces for a variety space missions that use solar or laser in-space propulsion. Three cases are compared: Sun-facing diffractive sails, Littrow diffraction configurations, and conventional reflective sails. A simple Earth-to-Mars orbit transfer at a constant attitude with respect to the sun-line finds no penalty for transparent diffractive sails. Advantages of the latter approach include actively controlled metasails and the reuse of photons.
A novel deflection effect of an intense laser beam with spin angular momentum is revealed theoretically by an analytical modeling using radiation pressure and momentum balance of laser plasma interaction in the relativistic regime, as a deviation from the law of reflection. The reflected beam deflects out of the plane of incidence with a deflection angle up to several milliradians, when a non-linear polarized laser, with the intensity $I_0sim10^{19}$W/cm$^2$ and duration around tens of femtoseconds, is obliquely incident and reflected by an overdense plasma target. This effect originates from the asymmetric radiation pressure caused by spin angular momentum of the laser photons. The dependence of the deflection angle of a Gaussian-type laser on the parameters of laser pulse and plasma foil is theoretically derived, which is also confirmed by three dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of circularly polarized laser beams with the different intensity and pulse duration.
We show that extreme vacuum pressures can be measured with current technology by detecting the photons produced by the relativistic Thomson scattering of ultra-intense laser light by the electrons of the medium. We compute the amount of radiation scattered at different frequencies and angles and design strategies for the efficient measurement of pressure. In particular, we show that a single day experiment at a high repetition rate Petawatt laser facility such as VEGA, that will be operating in 2014 in Salamanca, will be sensitive, in principle, to pressures p as low as 10^{-16} Pa, and will be able to provide highly reliable measurements for p>10^{-14} Pa.
Recent years have seen an explosive research and development of nanoplasmonics in the visible and near-infrared (near-ir) frequency regions. One of the most fundamental effects in nanoplasmonics is nano-concentration of optical energy. Plasmonic nanofocusing has been predicted and experimentally achieved. It will be very beneficial for the fundamental science, engineering, environmental, and defense applications to be able to nano-concentrate terahertz radiation (frequency 1 - 10 THz or vacuum wavelength 300 - 30 microns). This will allow for the nanoscale spatial resolution for THz imaging and introduce the THz spectroscopy on the nanoscale, taking full advantage of the rich THz spectra and submicron to nanoscale structures of many engineering, physical, and biological objects of wide interest: electronic components (integrated circuits, etc.), bacteria, their spores, viruses, macromolecules, carbon clusters and nanotubes, etc. In this Letter we establish the principal limits for the nanoconcentration of the THz radiation in metal/dielectric waveguides and determine their optimum shapes required for this nanoconcentration We predict that the adiabatic compression of THz radiation from the initial spot size of light wavelength to the final size of R = 100 - 250 nm can be achieved with the THz radiation intensity increased by a factor of 10 to 250. This THz energy nanoconcentration will not only improve the spatial resolution and increase the signal/noise ratio for the THz imaging and spectroscopy, but in combination with the recently developed sources of powerful THz pulses will allow the observation of nonlinear THz effects and a carrying out a variety of nonlinear spectroscopies (such as two-dimensional spectroscopy), which are highly informative.