Radiation rebound and quantum splash in electron-laser collisions

Publication type
Citation

Z. Gong, R. H. Hu, J. Q. Yu, Y. R. Shou, A. Arefiev, and X. Q. Yan, "Radiation rebound and quantum splash in electron-laser collisions", Physical Review Accelerators and Beams 22, 093401 (2019).

Abstract

The radiation reaction (RR) is expected to play a critical role in light-matter interactions at extreme intensity. Utilizing the theoretical analyses and three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations, we demonstrate that electron reflection, induced by the RR in a head-on collision with an intense laser pulse, can provide pronounced signatures to discern the classical and quantum RR. In the classical regime, there is a precipitous threshold of laser intensity to achieve the whole electron bunch rebound. However, this threshold becomes a gradual transition in the quantum regime, where the electron bunch is quasi- isotropically scattered by the laser pulse and this process resembles a water splash. Leveraged on the derived dependence of classical radiation rebound on the parameters of laser pulses and electron bunches, a practical detecting method is proposed to distinguish the quantum discrete recoil and classical continuous RR force.

Acknowledgements

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