We are looking to fill two postdoc positions (one experimental and one theoretical). Descriptions are below; Please let me know if you have any questions.

Experimental (Link): To investigate the physics of laser wakefield acceleration in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) laser regime. These experiments aim to explore unique opportunities provided by a co-located LINAC-produced electron beam in conjunction with longitudinal and transverse optical probes to investigate the properties of plasma structures created in this unique regime. The experiments will be conducted at the accelerator test facility (ATF) of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) using the multi-terawatt CO2 laser as driver, and Ti:sapphire and the >50 MeV electron beam.

Theoretical (Link): To Investigate the spatiotemporal control over laser propagation with the goal of generating an ionization wave with prescribed characteristics. Theoretical investigation of Fresnel integral to gain insights into the results of the numerical model will be an important component of this work. Another important component is investigating the scaling of the properties of the plasma channel resulting from this ionization wave. Although primarily theoretical, there will be an opportunity for participating in proof-of-principle experiments in collaboration with the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester.

Congratulations to Marisa Petrusky and Sylvi Stoller who received the Bachelor of Science in Physics and to Roshni Patil who received her Master of Arts degree.

Awards

Congratulations to Marisa Petrusky and Navid Vafaei-Najafabadi, who received the “John S. Toll Prize to Outstanding Senior” and the “Outstanding Faculty Award”, the latter being received  for the second year in a row!

Congratulations to Marisa Petrusky, who received the 2021 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Marisa has been an outstanding undergraduate researcher in the Plasma Accelerator Group since summer of 2020. Marisa’s one of only four students from Stony Brook University to receive this award this year and is the second student from the Stony Brook’s Plasma Accelerator Group who has received this award (Audrey Farrell received it in 2020). Her undergraduate thesis research revolves around simulation of electrons probing plasma wakefields and is available here.

Congrats Marisa on this very well deserved recognition.

See our recent paper on the spatio-temporal control of the energy of a laser pulse using non-linear medium. The idea is that the nonlinear index of refraction of the material can be interpreted as an intensity-dependent focal length for a laser pulse. The task is then to “design” a laser pulse power spectrum based on the location where the pulse is to be focused. This is a wicked cool idea and it’s an iteration on the flying focus that circumvents the need for complicated fabrication of novel optics by leveraging natural nonlinearity of material. See the paper for detailed calculations and explanations:

Tanner Simpson, D. Ramsey, P. Franke, N. Vafaei-Najafabadi, D. Turnbull, D. H. Froula, and J. P. Palastro, Nonlinear Spatiotemporal Control of Laser Intensity, Optics Express, 28, 38516-38526 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.411011; arXiv:2009.11783 [physics.optics]

Welcome!

The research carried out by the Plasma Accelerator Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook is centered on the topic of the acceleration of lepton beams using plasma waves. Such waves may be driven by either a dense particle beam in a process called plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA), or alternatively by a high-intensity laser pulse in a process called laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA). The formation of plasma structures that lead to particle acceleration is essentially the same regardless of the driver, although there are particular advantages to each. The ultimate goal is creating next-generation, efficient, and compact accelerates to serve the needs of the high energy physics or nuclear physics community.

The group is involved in all aspects of plasma accelerators, including experiments and theoretical and simulation studies. Current topics of research include meter-scale plasma generation, study of plasma structures driven by laser pulses and electron beams, as well as the study of the properties of beams accelerated in these structures (see the research tab for the nitty gritty details). As the experimental program requires high intensity laser pulses or dense electron beams, the group collaborates closely with the national laboratories and facilities that can provide such sources, including Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) of the  Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Facility for Advanced Accelerator Experimental Tests (FACET II) at the SLAC  National Accelerator Laboratory, and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at University of Rochester.