Coherence and superradiance from a plasma-based quasiparticle accelerator

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel quasi-particle-based approach to generate coherent and superradiant light sources, potentially enabling compact, high-brightness radiation devices suitable for widespread laboratory use.

Contribution

It proposes a new framework using collective plasma quasiparticles to produce coherent radiation, challenging traditional large-scale free electron laser designs.

Findings

Demonstrates the potential for superradiance in plasma-based quasiparticle systems

Shows the approach's applicability to nonlinear optical configurations

Suggests experimental feasibility with existing facilities

Abstract

Coherent light sources, such as free electron lasers, provide bright beams for biology, chemistry, physics, and advanced technological applications. Increasing the brightness of these sources requires progressively larger devices, with the largest being several km long (e.g., LCLS). Can we reverse this trend, and bring these sources to the many thousands of labs spanning universities, hospitals, and industry? Here we address this long-standing question by rethinking basic principles of radiation physics. At the core of our work is the introduction of quasi-particle-based light sources that rely on the collective and macroscopic motion of an ensemble of light-emitting charges to evolve and radiate in ways that would be unphysical when considering single charges. The underlying concept allows for temporal coherence and superradiance in fundamentally new configurations, providing radiation with clear experimental signatures and revolutionary properties. The underlying concept is illustrated with plasma accelerators but extends well beyond this case, such as to nonlinear optical configurations. The simplicity of the quasi-particle approach makes it suitable for experimental demonstrations at existing laser and accelerator facilities.