Computational Plasma Lab
Plasma Photonics : A New Frontier in Plasma Physics
Ultra-powerful lasers are essential tools to elucidate the mysteries of our universe. So far, using the CPA (chirped-pulse-amplification-link) technique, the laser power reaching several petawatt (1 PW = 1,000,000,000,000,000 W) can be made. However, we need even higher-power lasers; exawatt (1 EW=1000 PW) to zettawatt (1 ZW=1,000,000 PW) lasers will open a new era in lab-astrophysics.
The most vulnerable part in the conventional CPA technique is the solid-base pulse-compression gratings, which can be readily broken by the increased power of the laser. The alternative of the solid gratings is the plasma. The plasma, which is already broken-down state of matter, is fundamentally damage-free in high power environment. At the same time, the plasma is optically dispersive, meaning that it can be used as an optical device like a mirror, lens, and diffraction gratings. Using the plasma in this way is called plasma optics and plasma photonics. Our research focuses on plasma-based laser amplification and compression, aimed at developing compact zettawatt-level laser systems.
Figure: A long incident laser pulse (rainbow-color) is compressed in the plasma-mirror (purple) to become an ultrashort pulse with a very high peak power (white).
Lab-Astrophysics by Laser-Plasmas
So many mysteries in our universe! Is there a way to figure them out in laboratories?
By squeezing an enormous amount of energy into a tiny space, they can reproduce similar states to astrophysical phenomena, such as black hole radiation, gigantic gamma flares, core collapse and supernova explosion, matter-anti-matter mixture just after the big bang, genesis of cosmic magnetic fields, and so many others. The concentration of energy into a small space can be most efficiently achieved by focusing high power lasers. We theoretically study the next-generation lab-astrophysics based on exawatt and zettawatt lasers.
Our Research
CPL (Computational Plasma Lab) is a virtual laboratory dedicated to exploring various aspects of plasma physics through theory-aided computer simulations. In CPL, we take charge of the theoretical part of x-LaPPLAs. Our research encompasses;
Plasma-based pulse compression methods aimed at next-generation zettawatt lasers
Generation of THz waves and cosmic radio bursts arising from plasma phenomena
Particle acceleration resulting from laser-plasma interactions
Radiation reaction of an accelerating charge
QED (quantum electrodynamics) in laser-plasma systems
Advancing the development of electromagnetic particle-in-cell codes and envelope codes to model these complex phenomena
Collaboration
ELEP-LAB in Phys. Dept. UNIST, x-LaPPLAs in Phys. Dept. UNIST, Laser-Plasma Acceleration Laboratory in GIST, Plasma Photonics in Univ. Strathclyde of UK, Prof. Dongsu Ryu, Prof. Kyujin Kwak, Prof. Jae-Young Kim in Phys. Dept. UNIST.
Recent Publications and News
[2025/01/03] Our result has recently appeared in Physical Review Letters! [Link]
[2024/04/08] Prof. Hur has been awarded Outstanding faculty awards, Congratulations! [Link]
[2023/11/15] Our result has appeared in Nature Photonics! [Link]
[연합뉴스] "꿈의 전자기파" 테라헤르츠파 더 효율적으로 만든다
[연합뉴스] 초강력 레이저 더 강력하게…"초고출력 방법 찾았다"
Contact Us
Address : Bd. 108, Office 401-12, Physics Dept. of UNIST, 50 Unist-gil, Ulsan, Korea 44919
TEL : +82-52-217-2976 (Student office), 2912 (Prof’s office)
Email : mshur@unist.ac.kr (Prof. Hur)
We are recruiting highly motivated graduate students!