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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0New Journal of Physics

Theory of relativistic surface plasmon excitation on smooth surface by high-intensity lasers

  • Bifeng Lei1
  • Bin Qiao2
  • Matt Zepf3
  • Guoxing Xia4
  • Carsten Welsch1
4 affiliations
  1. 1University of Liverpool
  2. 2Peking University
  3. 3Helmholtz-Institut Jena
  4. 4University of Manchester
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Abstract

We present a classical theory of relativistic surface plasmon (RSP) excitation at smooth planar and cylindrical plasma–vacuum interfaces driven along the surface or channel axis by the ponderomotive force or carrier electric field of an intense laser pulse. Starting from Maxwell’s equations and a cold-fluid plasma response, we derive a general driven-mode equation and obtain analytical solutions for Gaussian sources. Excitation is governed by the overlap between the drive and the surface eigenfield, together with frequency and wavenumber matching. An infinite planar interface conserves in-plane momentum, while cylindrical geometry replaces one continuous tangential wavenumber with a discrete azimuthal index and retains axial phase-matching requirements. Within a frozen-quiver relativistic Drude model, the field shows saturation on planar surface, whereas cylindrical curvature mitigate this effect by modifies the mode dispersion and the field confinement. Preliminary particle-in-cell simulations show qualitative agreement with the predicted intensity dependence. Cylindrical symmetry also imposes source-dependent azimuthal selection rules, and the axisymmetric mode supports a nonzero on-axis accelerating field. These results clarify how surface geometry controls RSP excitation and provide a framework that can be extended to other geometries and driving mechanisms.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{lei2026theory,
  title = {{Theory of relativistic surface plasmon excitation on smooth surface by high-intensity lasers}},
  author = {Bifeng Lei and Bin Qiao and Matt Zepf and Guoxing Xia and Carsten Welsch},
  journal = {New Journal of Physics},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1088/1367-2630/aeb821},
  url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/aeb821},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Theory of relativistic surface plasmon excitation on smooth surface by high-intensity lasers
AU  - Bifeng Lei
AU  - Bin Qiao
AU  - Matt Zepf
AU  - Guoxing Xia
AU  - Carsten Welsch
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/22
JO  - New Journal of Physics
DO  - 10.1088/1367-2630/aeb821
UR  - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/aeb821
AB  - We present a classical theory of relativistic surface plasmon (RSP) excitation at smooth planar and cylindrical plasma–vacuum interfaces driven along the surface or channel axis by the ponderomotive force or carrier electric field of an intense laser pulse. Starting from Maxwell’s equations and a cold-fluid plasma response, we derive a general driven-mode equation and obtain analytical solutions for Gaussian sources. Excitation is governed by the overlap between the drive and the surface eigenfield, together with frequency and wavenumber matching. An infinite planar interface conserves in-plane momentum, while cylindrical geometry replaces one continuous tangential wavenumber with a discrete azimuthal index and retains axial phase-matching requirements. Within a frozen-quiver relativistic Drude model, the field shows saturation on planar surface, whereas cylindrical curvature mitigate this effect by modifies the mode dispersion and the field confinement. Preliminary particle-in-cell simulations show qualitative agreement with the predicted intensity dependence. Cylindrical symmetry also imposes source-dependent azimuthal selection rules, and the axisymmetric mode supports a nonzero on-axis accelerating field. These results clarify how surface geometry controls RSP excitation and provide a framework that can be extended to other geometries and driving mechanisms.
SN  - 1367-2630
ER  -