Using laser light to simulate material production

A team led by researchers from Osaka University and the University of California, San Diego has demonstrated how to use simulations to experimentally create materials from light alone. This could one day help test long-standing theories about the composition of the universe.

One of the most shocking predictions of quantum physics is that matter can be created solely from light (or photons), and in fact, objects known as pulsars have accomplished this feat. Although producing matter directly in this way has not been achieved in the laboratory, it could allow further testing of fundamental quantum physics theories and the fundamental makeup of the universe.

In a recently published study, physical review letterA team led by researchers from Osaka University photon– Collision of photons using only lasers. The simplicity of the setup and ease of implementation at currently available laser intensities make it a promising candidate for experimental implementation in the near future.

Image of a self-organizing photon collider driven by intense laser pulses propagating through a plasma.Credit: Yasuhiko Sentoku

Photon-photon collisions are theorized to be the fundamental means by which matter is created in the universe, resulting from Einstein’s famous equation E=mc2. In fact, researchers have created materials indirectly from light by accelerating metal ions, such as gold, into each other at high speeds. At such high velocities, each ion is surrounded by photons, creating matter and antimatter as they pass each other.

However, it is difficult to generate materials experimentally using laser light alone in modern laboratories, as very high-power lasers are required. The researchers set out to simulate how this feat is accomplished in the lab because it could lead to experimental breakthroughs.

“Our simulations show that when interacting with the laser’s strong electromagnetic field, a dense plasma It can self-assemble to form a photon-photon collider,” explains Dr. Sugimoto, lead author of the study. “This collider contains a population of gamma rays that is 10 times denser than the electron density in the plasma, and whose energy is a million times greater than the energy of the photons in the laser.”

Self-organizing photon collider driven by intense laser pulses. (a) Plasma density, (b) magnetic channel, and (c) angular distribution of emitted photons. Credit: Physical Review Letters

Photon-photon collisions in a collider produce electron-positron pairs, which are accelerated by a plasma electric field generated by a laser. This produces a positron beam.

“This is the first simulation of an accelerated positron from a linear Breit-Wheeler process under relativistic conditions,” said co-author Professor Alefeyev from UCSD. “We feel that our proposal is experimentally feasible and we look forward to real-world implementation,” said Dr. Vyacheslav Lukin, program director at the National Science Foundation, which supported the research. It is stated as follows. “This research shows a potential way to explore the mysteries of the universe in a laboratory setting. The future possibilities for current and future high-power laser facilities have become even more interesting.”

Applying this research to Star Trek’s fictional matter and energy conversion technology remains mere fiction. Nevertheless, this research has the potential to help experimentally confirm theories of the composition of the universe, and may even help discover previously unknown physics.

Reference: “Positron generation and acceleration in a self-organizing photon collider enabled by ultra-intense laser pulses” K. Sugimoto, Y. He, N. Iwata, Illinois. Yeh, K. Tantartalakul, A. Alefyev, Y. Szenk, August 9, 2023. physical review letter.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.065102