Ultra-strong laser pulses: streak-camera for gamma-rays via pair production and quantum radiative reaction

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel streak-camera detection scheme for high-energy gamma-ray pulses using strong laser and x-ray pulses, leveraging pair production and quantum radiation reaction effects to achieve zeptosecond temporal resolution.

Contribution

It introduces a new method combining intense laser and x-ray pulses with pair production to characterize gamma-ray pulses at unprecedented timescales, considering quantum effects.

Findings

Detection scheme can resolve gamma-ray pulses down to zeptoseconds.

Quantum radiation reaction influences the detection process.

Pair production is effectively used for streak imaging of gamma-rays.

Abstract

We show that a strong laser pulse combined with a strong x-ray pulse can be employed in a detection scheme for characterizing high-energy $\gamma$-ray pulses down to the zeptosecond timescale. The scheme employs streak imaging technique built upon the high-energy process of electron-positron pair production in vacuum through the collision of a test pulse with intense laser pulses. The role of quantum radiation reaction in multiphoton Compton scattering process and limitations imposed by it on the detection scheme are examined.