Testing nonlinear-QED at the future linear collider with an intense laser

TL;DR

This paper proposes an experiment at future linear colliders to test nonlinear quantum electrodynamics effects by focusing intense lasers on high-energy electron beams, aiming to explore strong field physics phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental setup to investigate nonlinear QED effects at higher energies than previous experiments, enabling more precise tests of strong field theories.

Findings

Potential to observe nonlinear Compton scattering and Breit-Wheeler pair production at higher energies.

Ability to investigate mass-shift and spin-dependent effects in strong electromagnetic fields.

Enhanced understanding of strong field physics at TeV-scale energies.

Abstract

The future linear collider will collide dense $e^+e^-$ bunches at high energies up to 1 TeV, generating very intense electromagnetic fields at the interaction point (IP). These fields are strong enough to lead to nonlinear effects which affect all IP processes and which are described by strong field physics theory. In order to test this theory, we propose an experiment that will focus an intense laser on the LC electron beam post-IP. Similar experiments at SLAC E144 have investigated nonlinear Compton scattering, Breit-Wheeler pair production using an electron beam of 46.6 GeV. The higher beam energies available at the future LC would allow more precise studies of these phenomena. Mass-shift and spin-dependent effects could also be investigated.