Research Interests

Dr. Su's research deals mainly with light-matter interaction. The light intensity is typically on a high level and the interaction takes place over a short time scale. The subjects include

  1. relativistic electron motion,
  2. computational quantum field theory,
  3. electron-electron correlation,
  4. light propagation in highly scattering media,
  5. multiphoton, and above-threshold ionization,
  6. high order harmonic light generation,
  7. atomic stabilization,
  8. x-ray diagnosis of fusion targets.

For the studies of strong field photo-ionization he used a new model atomic system. The basic static properties of the model atom, eigenvalues, dipole moments, sum rule, etc., were analyzed numerically. Dynamic properties of the atom included its above threshold ionization (ATI) phenomena: non-perturbative ATI peaks, intensity dependent peak shiftings, and high order harmonic light generation were studied.

One of Dr. Su's contributions was the discovery of a new super-strong field regime. In this field regime, Dr. Su and collaborators realized for the first time atomic stabilization effects , ionization suppression and electron localization, in finite-frequency laser pulses with realistic intensities.

Dr. Su has continued his research on the realizability of atomic stabilization. He verified the degree of stabilization under the so-called high-frequency conditions and other laser pulse variations. He and his collaborators predicted blue shifts of ATI peaks to be a signature of atomic stabilization.

Dr. Su studied the so-called recovery of ionization, i.e., a periodic modulation in ionization probability during the dynamic stabilization of atoms. He is also interested in the dynamics of relativistic and quantum mechanical electron motion driven by electric and magnetic fields of lasers.

Dr. Su has also been involved in the design of x-ray imaging systems. The ray tracing results have provided geometric and spectral estimations for Roland circle geometry and the Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope to be used in the laser fusion studies in the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester, New York.

Dr. Su's current interests are in various aspects of the non-relativistic and relativistic ionization and stabilization processes of atoms in intense laser fields, the associated high order harmonic light generation, and x-ray spectral diagnosis of hot fusion targets.

Dr. Su's most recent interests are in various aspects of computational quantum field theory and applications in space-time resolved Klein paradox and pair creation processes. He is also interested in experimental and theoretical aspects of light scattering and imaging in turbid environments.

Dr. Su's main collaborators are: Prof. J.H. Eberly (U. Rochester), Prof. R. Grobe (ISU), Prof. J. Javanainen (U. Conn.), Prof. L.J. Wang (Princeton) and Prof. B. Yaakobi (LLE, NY)

For more details, see the home page of the Intense Laser Physics Theory Unit at Illinois State


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