The interaction of an unpolarized electron beam with a counterpropagating ultraintense linearly polarized laser pulse is investigated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. We employ a semiclassical Monte Carlo method to describe spin-resolved electron dynamics, photon emissions and polarization, and pair production. Abundant high-energy linearly polarized gamma photons are generated intermediately during this interaction via nonlinear Compton scattering, with an average polarization degree of more than 50%, which further interacting with the laser fields produce electron-positron pairs due to nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process. The photon polarization is shown to significantly affect the pair yield by a factor beyond 10%. The considered signature of the photon polarization in the pair's yield can be experimentally identified in a prospective two-stage setup. Moreover, the signature can serve also for the polarimetry of high-energy high-flux gamma photons with a resolution well below 1% with currently achievable laser facilities.
Non-linear Breit-Wheeler $e^+e^-$ pair production and its crossing channel - the non-linear Compton process - in the multi-photon regime are analyzed for linearly and circularly polarized short laser pulses. The contribution of multi-photon processes to total cross sections is determined and we also show that (i) the azimuthal angular distributions of outgoing electrons in these processes differ on a qualitative level, and (ii) they depend on the polarization properties of the pulses. A finite carrier envelope phase (CEP) leads to a non-trivial non-monotonic behavior of the azimuthal angle dis…
The collision of ultrashort high-density $e^-$ or $e^-$ and $e^+$ beams at 10s of GeV, to be available at the FACET II and in laser wakefield accelerator experiments, can produce highly collimated $γ$ rays (few GeVs) with peak brilliance of $10^{27}~\mathrm{ph/s~mm^2 mrad^2 0.1\% BW}$ and up to $10^5$ nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pairs. We provide analytical estimates of the photon source properties and of the yield of secondary pairs, finding excellent agreement with full-scale 3D self-consistent particle-in-cell simulations that include quantum electrodynamics effects. Our results show that beam-…
The pair beaming in the Breit-Wheeler (BW) process is investigated. We examine the effect of the BW differential cross section on pair angular and energy distributions. Although, this study is relevant for laser induced intense gamma-ray source collisions experiments, we apply the pair beaming in astrophysical context, in particular for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN).
The forthcoming generation of multi-petawatt lasers opens the way to abundant pair production by the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process, i.e., the decay of a photon into an electron-positron pair inside an intense laser field. In this paper we explore the optimal conditions for Breit-Wheeler pair production in the head-on collision of a laser pulse with gamma photons. The role of the laser peak intensity versus the focal spot size and shape is examined keeping a constant laser energy to match experimental constraints. A simple model for the soft-shower case, where most pairs originate from the de…
Electron-positron pairs are produced through the Breit-Wheeler process when energetic photons traverse electromagnetic fields of sufficient strength. Here we consider a possible experimental geometry for observation of pair creation in the highly nonlinear regime, in which bremsstrahlung of an ultrarelativistic electron beam in a high-$Z$ target is used to produce $γ$ rays that collide with a counterpropagating laser pulse. We show how the target thickness may be chosen to optimize the yield of Breit-Wheeler positrons, and verify our analytical predictions with simulations of the cascade in th…
The non-linear (strong-field) Breit-Wheeler $e^+e^-$ pair production by a probe photon traversing two consecutive short and ultra short (sub-cycle) laser pulses is considered within a QED framework. The temporal shape of the pulses and the distance between them are essential for the differential cross section as a function of the azimuthal angle distribution of the outgoing electron (positron). The found effect of a pronounced azimuthal anisotropy is important for sub-cycle pulses and decreases rapidly with increasing width of the individual pulses.
In this paper we derive and discuss the completely spin- and photon-polarisation dependent probability rates for nonlinear Compton scattering and nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production. The locally constant field approximation, which is essential for applications in plasma-QED simulation codes, is rigorously derived from the strong-field QED matrix elements in the Furry picture for a general plane-wave background field. We discuss important polarisation correlation effects in the spectra of both processes. Asymptotic limits for both small and large values of $χ$ are derived and their spin/pol…
The spin effect of electrons/positrons ($e^-$/$e^+$) and polarization effect of $γ$ photons are investigated in the interaction of two counter-propagating linearly polarized 10-PW-class laser pulses with a thin foil target. The processes of nonlinear Compton scattering and nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production based on spin- and polarization-resolved probabilities are implemented into the particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm by Monte Carlo methods. It is found from PIC simulations that the average degree of linear polarization of emitted $γ$ photons can exceed $50\%$. This polarization effect le…
Counter-propagating and suitably polarized light (laser) beams can provide conditions for pair production. Here, we consider in more detail the following two situations: (i) In the homogeneity regions of anti-nodes of linearly polarized ultra-high intensity laser beams, the Schwinger process is dynamically assisted by a second high-frequency field, e.g. by a XFEL beam. (ii) A high-energy probe photon beam colliding with a superposition of co-propagating intense laser and XFEL beams gives rise to the laser assisted Breit-Wheeler process. Prospects of such bi-frequent field constellations with r…
When a photon collides with a laser pulse, an electron-positron pair can be produced via the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process. A simulation framework has been developed to calculate this process, which is based on a ponderomotive approach that includes strong-field quantum electrodynamical effects via the locally monochromatic approximation (LMA). Here we compare simulation predictions for a variety of observables, in different physical regimes, with numerical evaluation of exact analytical results from theory. For the case of a focussed laser background, we also compare simulation with a high-…
Self-organized positron reorienting and pinching mechanism for the experimental detection of the linear Breit-Wheeler process
York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York（约克大学等离子体研究所）；GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa（里斯本大学高等技术学院等离子体与核聚变研究所）；Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego（加州大学圣地亚哥分校机械与航空航天工程系）；General Atomics（通用原子能公司）；Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory（劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室）
Nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production using polarized photons from inverse Compton scattering
Helmholtz Institute Jena（耶拿亥姆霍兹研究所）；GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH（GSI重离子研究中心有限公司）；Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität（弗里德里希·席勒大学光学与量子电子学研究所）；Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg（哥德堡大学物理系）
Generation of arbitrarily spin-polarized lepton (here refer in particular to electron and positron) beams has been investigated in the single-shot interaction of high-energy polarized $γ$ photons with an ultraintense asymmetric laser pulse via nonlinear Breit-Wheeler (BW) pair production. We develop a fully spin-resolved semi-classical Monte Carlo method to describe the pair creation and polarization in the local constant field approximation. In nonlinear BW process the polarization of created pairs is simultaneously determined by the polarization of parent $γ$ photons, the polarization and as…
We develop the particle-in-cell (PIC) code KLAPS to include the photon generation via the Compton scattering and electron-positron creation via the Breit-Wheeler process due to quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects. We compare two sets of existing formulas for the photon generation and different Monte Carlo algorithms. Then we benchmark the PIC simulation results.
We describe a laser-plasma platform for photon-photon collision experiments to measure fundamental quantum electrodynamic processes such as the linear Breit-Wheeler process with real photons. The platform has been developed using the Gemini laser facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. A laser wakefield accelerator and a bremsstrahlung convertor are used to generate a collimated beam of photons with energies of hundreds of MeV, that collide with keV x-ray photons generated by a laser heated plasma target. To detect the pairs generated by the photon-photon collisions, a magnetic transpo…
The creation of an electron-positron pair in the collision of two real photons, namely the linear Breit-Wheeler process, has never been detected directly in the laboratory since its prediction in 1934 despite its fundamental importance in quantum electrodynamics and astrophysics. In the last few years, several experimental setup have been proposed to observe this process in the laboratory, relying either on thermal radiation, Bremsstrahlung, linear or multiphoton inverse Compton scattering photons sources created by lasers or by the mean of a lepton collider coupled with lasers. In these propo…
For simulating laser-plasma interactions, we developed a parallel, multi-dimensional, fully relativistically particle-in-cell (PIC) code, named YUNIC. The core algorithm is introduced, including field solver, particle pusher, field interpolation, and current interpolation. In addition to the classical electromagnetic interaction in plasmas, nonlinear Compton scattering and nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production are also implemented based on Monte-Carlo methods to study quantum electrodynamics (QED) processes. We benchmark YUNIC against theories and other PIC codes through several typical case…
A theoretical and numerical investigation of non-ponderomotive absorption at laser intensities relevant to quantum electrodynamics is presented. It is predicted that there is a regime change in the dependence of fast electron energy on incident laser energy that coincides with the onset of pair production via the Breit-Wheeler process. This prediction is numerically verified via an extensive campaign of QED-inclusive particle-in-cell simulations. The dramatic nature of the power law shift leads to the conclusion that this process is a candidate for an unambiguous signature that future experime…
The ability of an intense laser pulse to propagate in a classically over-critical plasma through the phenomenon of relativistic transparency is shown to facilitate the generation of strong plasma magnetic fields. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that these fields significantly enhance the radiation rates of the laser-irradiated electrons, and furthermore they collimate the emission so that a directed and dense beam of multi-MeV gamma-rays is achievable. This capability can be exploited for electron-positron pair production via the linear Breit-Wheeler process by colliding two such dens…
Energetic spin-polarized positrons are extremely demanded for forefront researches, such as $e^- e^+$ collider physics, but making compact positron sources is still very challenging. Here we put forward an efficient scheme of trapping and acceleration of polarized positrons in plasma wakefields. Seed electrons colliding with a bichromatic laser create polarized $γ$ photons which then split into $e^- e^+$ pairs via nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process with an average (partial) positron polarization above 30\% (70\%). Over 70\% positrons are trapped and accelerated in recovered wakefields driven by a…
Relativistic spin-polarized positron beams are indispensable for future electron-positron colliders to test modern high-energy physics theory with high precision. However, present techniques require very large scale facilities for those experiments. We put forward a novel efficient way for generating ultrarelativistic polarized positron beams employing currently available laser fields. For this purpose the generation of polarized positrons via multiphoton Breit-Wheeler pair production and the associated spin dynamics in single-shot interaction of an ultraintense laser pulse with an ultrarelati…
Although several laser-plasma-based methods have been proposed for generating energetic electrons, positrons and γ-photons, manipulation of their microstructures is still challenging, and their angular momentum control has not yet been achieved. Here, we present and numerically demonstrate an all-optical scheme to generate bright GeV γ-photon and positron beams with controllable angular momentum by use of two counter-propagating circularly-polarized lasers in a near-critical-density plasma. The plasma acts as a "switching medium", where the trapped electrons first obtain angular momentum from …
The production of a highly-polarized positron beam via nonlinear Breit-Wheeler processes during the interaction of an ultraintense circularly polarized laser pulse with a longitudinally spin-polarized ultrarelativistic electron beam is investigated theoretically. A new Monte Carlo method employing fully spin-resolved quantum probabilities is developed under the local constant field approximation to include three-dimensional polarizations effects in strong laser fields. The produced positrons are longitudinally polarized through polarization transferred from the polarized electrons by the mediu…
A diamond-like carbon circular target is proposed to improve the $γ$-ray emission and pair production with lasers intensity of $8\times 10^{22} ~\mathrm{W/cm^2}$ by using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations with quantum electrodynamics. It is found that the circular target can significantly enhance the density of $γ$-photons than plane target when two colliding circularly polarized lasers irradiate the target. By multi-lasers irradiate the circular target, the optical trap of lasers can prevent the high energy electrons accelerated by laser radiation pressure from escaping. Hence, hig…
A challenge to upcoming experiments that plan to collide a particle beam with laser pulses of moderate intensity is how to correctly incorporate quantum effects into simulation frameworks. Using a uniform approach, we extend the widely-used locally constant field approximation (LCFA) to derive an improved rate of photon-seeded pair creation (the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process). By benchmarking our "ULCFA" expressions with the lightfront spectrum of: i) exact analytical results and ii) numerical integration of the QED probability for short pulses, we show that our extended approach remains acc…
The interaction of charged particles and photons with intense electromagnetic fields gives rise to multi-photon Compton and Breit-Wheeler processes. These are usually described in the framework of the external field approximation, where the electromagnetic field is assumed to have infinite energy. However, the multi-photon nature of these processes implies the absorption of a significant number of photons, which scales as the external field amplitude cubed. As a result, the interaction of a highly charged electron bunch with an intense laser pulse can lead to significant depletion of the laser…
The nature of matter creation is one of the most basic processes in the universe. According to the quantum electrodynamics theory, matters can be created from pure light through the Breit Wheeler (BW) process. The multi-photon BW process has been demonstrated in 1997 at the SLAC, yet the two-photon BW process has never been observed in the laboratory. Interest has been aroused to investigate this process with lasers due to the developments of the laser technology and the laser based electron accelerators. The laser based proposals may be achieved with NIF and ELI, provided that the signal-to-n…
Creation of electrons and positrons from light alone is a basic prediction of quantum electrodynamics, but yet to be observed. Here we show that it is possible to create ${>}10^8$ positrons by dual laser irradiation of a structured plasma target, at intensities of $2 \times 10^{22} \mathrm{W}\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$. In contrast to previous work, the pair creation is primarily driven by the linear Breit-Wheeler process ($γγ\to e^+ e^-$), not the nonlinear process assumed to be dominant at high intensity, because of the high density of $γ$ rays emitted inside the target. The favorable scaling with las…
The specific features of nonlinear pair production and radiation processes in an ultratsrong rotating electric field are investigated, taking into account that this field models the antinodes of counterpropagating laser beams. It is shown that a particle in a rotating electric field acquires an effective mass which depends on its momentum absolute value as well as on its direction with respect to the field plane. This phenomenon has an impact on the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler and nonlinear Compton processes. The spectra of the produced pairs in the first case, and the emitted photon in the second…
