Dynamic spin-polarization control of terahertz waves in magnetized plasmas

Cai Jie; Shou Yinren; Gong Zheng; Wen Han; Han Liqi; Yu Jinqing; Yan Xueqing

doi:10.1063/5.0279501

Volume 10 Issue 6

Nov. 2025

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Cai Jie, Shou Yinren, Gong Zheng, Wen Han, Han Liqi, Yu Jinqing, Yan Xueqing. Dynamic spin-polarization control of terahertz waves in magnetized plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2025, 10(6): 067201. doi: 10.1063/5.0279501

Citation:

Cai Jie, Shou Yinren, Gong Zheng, Wen Han, Han Liqi, Yu Jinqing, Yan Xueqing. Dynamic spin-polarization control of terahertz waves in magnetized plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2025, 10(6): 067201. doi: 10.1063/5.0279501

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Dynamic spin-polarization control of terahertz waves in magnetized plasmas

doi: 10.1063/5.0279501

Cai Jie^{1, 2
,},
Shou Yinren^1
,,
Gong Zheng^3
,,
Wen Han^2
,,
Han Liqi²,
Yu Jinqing^2
,,
Yan Xueqing^{1
,
,}

1.
State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
2.
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of High-Energy Scale Physics and Applications, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
3.
Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

More Information

Author Bio:
Electronic mail: jinqing.yu@hnu.edu.cn
Corresponding author: b)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: x.yan@pku.edu.cn
Received Date: 2025-05-07
Accepted Date: 2025-09-15

Available Online: 2025-11-01

Publish Date: 2025-11-01

Abstract

Abstract

Controlling terahertz (THz) polarization with high stability and tunability is essential for achieving further progress in ultrafast spectroscopy, structured-light manipulation, and quantum information processing. Here, we propose a magnetized plasma platform for dynamic THz polarization control by exploiting the intrinsic birefringence between extraordinary and ordinary modes. We identify a strong-magnetization, zero-group-velocity-mismatch regime where the two modes share matched group velocities while retaining finite phase birefringence, enabling robust, phase-stable spin angular momentum control. By tuning the plasma length and magnetic field, we realize programmable phase retardation and demonstrate universal single-qubit gates through parameterized unitary operations. Full-wave particle-in-cell simulations validate high-fidelity polarization transformations across the Poincaré sphere and demonstrate the potential for generating structured vector beams under spatially varying magnetic fields. The platform offers ultrafast response, resilience to extreme THz intensities, and in situ tunability, positioning magnetized plasmas as a versatile and damage-resilient medium for next-generation THz polarization control and structured-wave applications.

Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Jie Cai: Conceptualization (equal); Data curation (equal); Investigation (equal); Software (equal); Validation (equal); Visualization (equal); Writing – original draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Yinren Shou: Investigation (equal); Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Zheng Gong: Funding acquisition (equal); Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Han Wen: Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Liqi Han: Writing – review & editing (equal). Jinqing Yu: Funding acquisition (equal); Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Xueqing Yan: Funding acquisition (equal); Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal).
Author Contributions
The data that support the findings of this work are available from the corresponding author upon resonable request.

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References(39)

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