Fully explicit nonlinear optics model in a particle-in-cell framework

A numerical technique which incorporates the nonlinear optics of anisotropic crystals into a particle-in-cell framework is described. The model is useful for simulating interactions between crystals, ultra-short laser pulses, intense relativistic electron bunches, plasmas, or any combination thereof. The frequency content of the incident and scattered radiation is limited only by the resolution of the spatial and temporal grid. A numerical stability analysis indicates that the Courant condition is more stringent than in the vacuum case. Numerical experiments are carried out illustrating the electro-optic effect, soliton propagation, and the generation of fields in a crystal by a relativistic electron bunch. Published by Elsevier Inc.