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Plasma dynamics in transient electrostatic shocks driven by relativistic few-cycle laser pulses

Guanqi Qiu1,2, Dongchi Cai1,2, Zheng Gong2,*, and Xueqing Yan1,3,†

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • 2Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
  • 3Beijing Laser Acceleration Innovation Center, Huairou, Beijing, 101400, China

  • *Contact author: zgong92@itp.ac.cn
  • †Contact author: x.yan@pku.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 29, 031302 – Published 5 March, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/p62l-rx4p

Abstract

The rapid advancement of laser compression techniques has brought increasing attention to few-cycle laser-plasma interactions. Through comprehensive particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate that compressing laser pulses to sub-10-femtosecond durations significantly enhances transient electrostatic shocks. Crucially, the plasma dynamics are strongly modulated by the laser carrier-envelope phase (ΦCEP). Our results reveal a pronounced cosinelike dependence of the proton cutoff energy on ΦCEP, with certain values of ΦCEP yielding superior performance due to enhanced electron displacement and stronger charge-separation fields. Phase-space analysis uncovers expanding “source”-like electron orbits, whose gyration radii correlate with ΦCEP-dependent energy transfer. We further develop an analytical model connecting the electrostatic shock strength, inferred from the proton energy, to the laser-plasma interaction parameters. This model is validated through extensive parameter scans over target density, thickness, laser intensity, and ΦCEP. Our findings establish a predictive framework for ΦCEP-controlled plasma dynamics in short-pulse laser interactions, providing insight into mechanisms relevant to laboratory high-energy proton sources and origin of energetic cosmic rays in astrophysical environments.

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Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 29, 031302– Published 5 March, 2026
  • Received 3 August 2025
  • Accepted 9 February 2026
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