Intense Laser Induced Nuclear Polarization

Han-Xu Zhang

zhanghanxu@fudan.edu.cn

Taiyuan · Shanxi IWND2026

2026.08.23

Background

Intense Laser Induced Nuclear Polarization

Background

4

Radioactivity

Nuclear fission

Nuclear fusion

Energy, agriculture, industry, healthcare …

Nuclear transition

battery, laser, clock …

Background

5

LARGE

SHORT

MULTIPOLE

DIFFICULT!

Bremsstrahlung

Nonlinear Compton scattering

XFEL

new possibilities?

Background

6

Strong field atomic physics

Attosecond science

Not enough for nuclear system

Background

7

+

= hyperfine

structure

Hyperfine splitting is within the reach of super intense laser!

Highly charged ion + intense laser = novel nuclear manipulation

Background

8

Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 152503 (2024)

Phys. Rev. C 111, 044614 (2025)

T. Li, H. X. Zhang and X. Wang, in preparation

Phys. Rev. C 113, 044315 (2026)

Highly charged ion + intense laser = novel nuclear manipulation

H. X. Zhang, T. Li, and X. Wang, under review

H. X. Zhang, B. S. Tu, X. Wang, and Y. G. Ma, in preparation

Efficient and more general way to polarize nuclear / heavy ion quantum state

Highly nonlinear �light-nucleus interaction

Intense Laser Induced Nuclear Polarization

Highly nonlinear light-nucleus interaction

10

time-dependent Schrödinger / Dirac equation

excitation probability

qualitative measure of the strength of the light–matter interaction

Highly nonlinear light-nucleus interaction

11

excitation probability

Laser duration = 100 a.u.

vs.

efficient excitation

non-resonant excitation: RWA not valid & no analytical solution

Highly nonlinear light-nucleus interaction

12

circularly polarized laser

&

a sequence of lasers?

Intense laser induced nuclear polarization

Intense Laser Induced Nuclear Polarization

Intense laser induced nuclear polarization

14

1st pulse

~100 fs

uniformly distributed in the ground state

radiative decay

0.1-100 ms

2nd pulse

radiative decay

cycle 1

cycle 2

cycle

3,4,...

start

Intense laser induced nuclear polarization

15

H. X. Zhang, T. Li, and X. Wang, under review.

Intense laser induced nuclear polarization

16

H. X. Zhang, B. S. Tu, X. Wang, and Y. G. Ma, in preparation

Multi-pulses: achieve 100%

Intense laser induced nuclear polarization

17

H. X. Zhang, T. Li, and X. Wang, under review.

BRUTE FORCE !

Applicable to more highly charged heavy ion considered here

Intense laser induced nuclear polarization

18

Extend to other nuclei

H. X. Zhang, B. S. Tu, X. Wang, and Y. G. Ma, in preparation

Discussions �and prospects

Intense Laser Induced Nuclear Polarization

Discussions

20

Existing methods

Dynamic nuclear polarization

microwave

spontaneous emission

Optical pumping

Resonant pumping + spontaneous emission cycles

• NMR, MRI
• Bioimaging
• Polarized target
• Commercialized

• Light nuclei, solid host
• resonant

• SEOP, MEOP for He-3, Xe-131
• Clock, MRI ……

Our method is the highly nonlinear, non resonant version of optical pumping

Prospects

21

super intense laser

• Brute force
• Short time interaction (within ps)

highly charged heavy ion

• Sufficiently deep Coulomb potential
• Stable unpaired electron

Ionization energy of the 1s electron in H-like thorium-229: 125 keV

Potential experimental facilities

• Ion traps (EBIT, Penning Trap)
• HCI production and storage
• Shanghai Penning Trap @ FDU

​

• Ion storage ring + lasers, PHELIX @ GSI
• HIAF @ IMPCAS

Potential applications

• Precision measurement
• Initial state preparation for heavy ion collision
• ……

Thanks

22

Prof. Yu-Gang Ma @ ECNU & FDU

Prof. Xu Wang @ GSCAEP

Prof. Bing-Sheng Tu @ FDU

Dr. Tao Li @ CUHK

Thanks for your attention!

Thanks