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Maxwell-Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck simulation for coupled laser-electron dynamics in a metal irradiated by ultrashort intense laser pulses

Mizuki Tani1,2,3,*, Tomohito Otobe1,2,†, Yasushi Shinohara2,4,5, and Kenichi L. Ishikawa2,3,6,7,‡

  • 1Kansai Institute for Photon Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
  • 2Photon Science Center, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
  • 3Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
  • 4NTT Basic Research Laboratories, NTT Corporation, 3-1, Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
  • 5NTT Research Center for Theoretical Quantum Information, NTT Corporation, 3-1 Morinosato Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
  • 6Research Institute for Photon Science and Laser Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
  • 7Institute for Attosecond Laser Facility, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

  • *Contact author: tani.mizuki@qst.go.jp
  • †Contact author: otobe.tomohito@qst.go.jp
  • ‡Contact author: ishiken@n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
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Phys. Rev. B 113, 214317 – Published 22 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/727r-dj6r

Abstract

The description of electron-electron scattering presents challenges in the microscopic modeling of the interaction of ultrashort intense laser pulses with solids. We extend the semiclassical approach based on the Vlasov equation [M. Tani et al., Phys. Rev. B 104, 075157 (2021)] to account for dynamic electron-electron scattering by introducing the Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (VUU) equation. We further couple the VUU equation with Maxwell's equations to describe the laser pulse propagation. We apply the present approach to simulate laser-electron interactions in bulk and thin-film aluminum, focusing on energy absorption and transport. Our calculation results reveal that electron-electron scattering affects energy absorption more significantly under p polarization than under s polarization, highlighting the role of the nonuniform surface potential. Our simulations also show that the energy transport extends beyond the optical penetration depth, which is consistent with observations in previous laser ablation experiments. The developed Maxwell-VUU approach is expected to advance the understanding of intense laser-material interactions not only as a cost-effective alternative to the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), but also by incorporating fermionic two-body collisions whose description is limited in TDDFT.

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Phys. Rev. B 113, 214317– Published 22 June, 2026
  • Received 4 February 2025
  • Revised 18 April 2026
  • Accepted 7 May 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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