Nonlinear Compton scattering of an ultra-intense laser pulse in a plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates how plasma modifies nonlinear Compton scattering of electrons in ultra-intense laser pulses, revealing altered photon emission spectra due to plasma-dressed laser dispersion effects.

Contribution

It introduces a first-principles derivation of modified Volkov states accounting for plasma effects, advancing understanding of quantum electrodynamics in plasma environments.

Findings

Plasma significantly alters electron states in intense laser fields.

Photon emission spectra are modified by plasma-dressed laser dispersion.

Implications for high-intensity laser-plasma experiments are discussed.

Abstract

Laser pulses traveling through a plasma can feature group velocities significantly differing from the speed of light in vacuum. This modifies the well-known Volkov states of an electron inside a strong laser-field from the vacuum case and consequently all quantum electrodynamical effects triggered by the electron. Here we present an in-depth study of the basic process of photon emission by an electron scattered from an intense short laser pulse inside a plasma, labeled nonlinear Compton scattering, based on modified Volkov solutions derived from first principles. Consequences of the nonlinear, plasma-dressed laser dispersion on the Compton spectra of emitted photons and implications for high-intensity laser-plasma experiments are pointed out.