Ultra-fast polarization of a thin electron layer in the rotational standing-wave field driven by double ultra-intense laser pulses

Abstract

We explore radiative polarization of electrons in a standing-wave formed by two circularly-polarized laser pulses irradiating a thin layer. Here the electron radiative spin dynamics in external electromagnetic fields is described by the generalized Sokolov–Ternov model implemented in the particle-in-cell simulations. We find that significant polarization is established in roughly one laser period from the circular motion in the standing wave. However, such motion is unstable at the magnetic nodes such that electrons migrate to different phases. The beam polarization is then transferred to transverse directions following the T-BMT precession and splits into two groups with opposite signs. The induced polarization distribution allows for filtering out electron population of high polarization purity via certain emitting angles and energies, approaching maximum of 78% polarization at light intensities of the order ∼10 ^23 W cm ^−2 .

Keywords

• radiative polarization
• ultra-strong laser
• strong-field QED