Relativistic Mirrors in Laser Plasmas (Analytical Methods)

TL;DR

This paper discusses the concept of relativistic flying mirrors in plasmas, which can reflect and frequency-shift electromagnetic waves, enabling ultrashort X-ray pulse generation and exploring nonlinear quantum electrodynamics effects.

Contribution

It provides analytical methods to understand and predict the behavior of relativistic plasma mirrors and their potential for high-intensity X-ray sources.

Findings

Frequency multiplication proportional to Lorentz factor squared

Potential for attosecond X-ray pulse generation

Thresholds for nonlinear quantum electrodynamics effects

Abstract

Relativistic flying mirrors in plasmas are realized as thin dense electron (or electron-ion) layers accelerated by high-intensity electromagnetic waves to velocities close to the speed of light in vacuum. The reflection of an electromagnetic wave from the relativistic mirror results in its energy and frequency changing. In a counter-propagation configuration, the frequency of the reflected wave is multiplied by the factor proportional to the Lorentz factor squared. This scientific area promises the development of sources of ultrashort X-ray pulses in the attosecond range. The expected intensity will reach the level at which the effects predicted by nonlinear quantum electrodynamics start to play a key role.