All-optical nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production with <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>γ</mml:mi></mml:math>-flash photons
Alexander J. MacLeod, Prokopis Hadjisolomou, Tae Moon Jeong, S. V. Bulanov
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 $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-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.