Gamma-Ray Flash in the Interaction of a Tightly Focused Single-Cycle Ultraintense Laser Pulse with a Solid Target

Abstract

We employ the ${\lambda }^3$ regime where a near-single-cycle laser pulse is tightly focused, thus providing the highest possible intensity for the minimal energy at a certain laser power. The quantum electrodynamics processes in the course of the interaction of the ultraintense laser with a solid target are studied via three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, revealing the generation of copious $\gamma$-photons and electron-positron pairs. The parametric study on the laser polarisation, target thickness and electron number density shows that the radially polarised laser provides the optimal regime for $\gamma$-photon generation. By varying the laser power in the range of 1 to 300 petawatt we find the scaling of the laser to $\gamma$-photon energy conversion efficiency. The laser-generated $\gamma$-photon interaction with a high-Z target is further studied by using Monte Carlo simulations revealing further electron-positron pair generation and radioactive nuclides creation.

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• Prolific pair production with high-power lasers
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• Note on the conjectured breakdown of QED perturbation theory in strong fields
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Cited by in corpus (5)

• All-optical nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production with $\gamma$-flash photons
• Towards Bright Gamma-Ray Flash Generation From Tailored Target Irradiated by Multi-Petawatt Laser
• Gamma-Flash Generation in Multi-Petawatt Laser-Matter Interactions
• Attosecond gamma-ray flashes and electron-positron pairs in dyadic laser interaction with micro-wire
• Collimated $\gamma$-flash emission along the target surface irradiated by a laser at non-grazing incidence