All-optical nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production with $\gamma$-flash photons

TL;DR

This paper proposes an all-optical method to generate high-energy photons via the $ ext{γ}$-flash mechanism, enabling experimental investigation of nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production with current and future high-power lasers.

Contribution

It introduces a simple all-optical setup for efficient high-energy photon generation to facilitate nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process studies.

Findings

The $ ext{γ}$-flash mechanism can produce suitable photon sources.

Collision with a secondary laser enables exploration of pair production.

Prospects are discussed for current and next-generation laser facilities.

Abstract

High-power laser facilities give experimental access to fundamental strong-field quantum electrodynamics processes. A key effect to be explored is the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process: the conversion of high-energy photons into electron-positron pairs through the interaction with a strong electromagnetic field. A major challenge to observing nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production experimentally is first having a suitable source of high-energy photons. In this paper we outline a simple all-optical setup which efficiently generates photons through the so-called $\gamma$-flash mechanism by irradiating a solid target with a high-power laser. We consider the collision of these photons with a secondary laser, and systematically discuss the prospects for exploring the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process at current and next-generation high-power laser facilities.