Photon-photon scattering at the high-intensity frontier

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method using three synchronized high-intensity laser pulses to observe quantum vacuum nonlinearities, providing detailed predictions for experimental detection of signal photons.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental scenario with three laser pulses and an efficient numerical model to predict observable quantum vacuum nonlinearities.

Findings

Predicted detectable number of signal photons in upcoming experiments

Detailed modeling of focused high-intensity laser pulse collisions

Feasibility of observing quantum vacuum nonlinearities in laboratory settings

Abstract

The tremendous progress in high-intensity laser technology and the establishment of dedicated high-field laboratories in recent years have paved the way towards a first observation of quantum vacuum nonlinearities at the high-intensity frontier. We advocate a particularly prospective scenario, where three synchronized high-intensity laser pulses are brought into collision, giving rise to signal photons, whose frequency and propagation direction differ from the driving laser pulses, thus providing various means to achieve an excellent signal to background separation. Based on the theoretical concept of vacuum emission, we employ an efficient numerical algorithm which allows us to model the collision of focused high-intensity laser pulses in unprecedented detail. We provide accurate predictions for the numbers of signal photons accessible in experiment. Our study paves the way for a first verification of quantum vacuum nonlinearity in a well-controlled laboratory experiment at one of the many high-intensity laser facilities currently coming online.