Kinetic modelling of quantum effects in laser-beam interaction

TL;DR

This paper develops a kinetic model to simulate quantum effects in laser-beam interactions, including pair production and photon emission, revealing significant quantum phenomena even at moderate laser intensities.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive numerical model accounting for quantum effects such as pair production and photon emission in laser interactions, advancing understanding of laser-plasma dynamics.

Findings

Quantum effects are significant at moderate laser intensities.

Self-generated electron-positron plasma can efficiently produce gamma-quanta.

Laser absorption is enhanced by electron-positron plasma development.

Abstract

We present the results of kinetic modelling of quantum effects in laser-beam interaction. In the developed numerical model, electron-positron pair production by hard photons, hard photon emission and the electromagnetic fields generated by the created charged particles are taken into account. Interaction of a relativistic electron beam with a strong laser pulse is analyzed. It is shown that the quantum effects can be important even for moderately intense laser pulses when the number of emitted photons by single electron is not large. Electron-positron pair plasma production in extremely-intense laser field via development of electromagnetic cascades is also studied. The simulation results confirm the prediction of strong laser field absorption in the self-generated electron-positron plasma. It is shown that the self-generated electron-positron plasma can be an efficient source of energetic gamma-quanta.