Collapse and revival of electromagnetic cascades in focused intense laser pulses

DOI10.1016/J.PHYSLETA.2014.09.058zbMATH Open1303.78012arXiv1407.6760OpenAlexW1991396118MaRDI QIDQ489434FDOQ489434

Authors: A. A. Mironov, Nikolay B. Narozhny, Alexander M. Fedotov 

Publication date: 20 January 2015

Published in: Physics Letters. A (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We consider interaction of a high-energy electron beam with two counterpropagating femtosecond laser pulses. Nonlinear Compton scattering and electron-positron pair production by the emitted photons result in development of an electromagnetic "shower-type" cascade, which however collapses rather quickly due to energy losses by secondary particles. Nevertheless, the laser field accelerates the low-energy electrons and positrons trapped in the focal region, thus giving rise to development of electromagnetic cascade of another type ("avalanche-type"). This effect of cascade collapse and revival can be observed at the electron beam energy of the order of several GeV and intensity of the colliding laser pulses of the level of $10^{24}$W/cm${}^2$. This means that it can be readily observed at the novel laser facilities which are either planned for the nearest future, or are already under construction. The proposed experimental setup provides the most realistic and promissory way to observe the "avalanche-type" cascades.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1407.6760

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zbMATH Keywords

ultra-intense lasershigh-energy electron beamsQED cascades

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Lasers, masers, optical bistability, nonlinear optics (78A60) Quantum optics (81V80) Electromagnetic interaction; quantum electrodynamics (81V10)

Cites Work

• Breakdown phenomena in semiconductors and semiconductor devices.

Cited In (2)

• Advances in QED with intense background fields
• Modelling gamma-ray photon emission and pair production in high-intensity laser-matter interactions

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