Electron dynamics controlled via self-interaction

Detecting radiation reaction at moderate laser intensities

We propose a new method of detecting radiation reaction effects in the motion of particles subjected to laser pulses of moderate intensity and long duration. The effect becomes sizable for particles that gain almost no energy through the interaction with the laser pulse. Hence, there are regions of parameter space in which radiation reaction is actually the dominant influence on charged particle motion.

Robust signatures of quantum radiation reaction in focused ultrashort laser pulses

Radiation-reaction effects in the interaction of an electron bunch with a superstrong focused ultrashort laser pulse are investigated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. The angle-resolved Compton scattering spectra are calculated in laser pulses of variable duration using a semiclassical description for the radiation-dominated dynamics and a full quantum treatment for the emitted radiation. In dependence of the laser-pulse duration we find signatures of quantum radiation reaction in the radiation spectra, which are characteristic for the focused laser beam and visible in the qualitative behavior of both the angular spread and the spectral bandwidth of the radiation spectra. The signatures are robust with respect to the variation of the electron and laser-beam parameters in a large range. Qualitatively, they differ fully from those in the classical radiation-reaction regime and are measurable with presently available laser technology.

Anomalous radiative trapping in laser fields of extreme intensity

We demonstrate that charged particles in a sufficiently intense standing wave are compressed toward, and oscillate synchronously at, the antinodes of the electric field. We call this unusual behavior anomalous radiative trapping (ART). We show using dipole pulses, which offer a path to increased laser intensity, that ART opens up new possibilities for the generation of radiation and particle beams, both of which are high energy, directed, and collimated. ART also provides a mechanism for particle control in high-intensity quantum-electrodynamics experiments.

Transverse spreading of electrons in high-intensity laser fields

We show that for collisions of electrons with a high-intensity laser, discrete photon emissions introduce a transverse beam spread that is distinct from that due to classical (or beam shape) effects. Via numerical simulations, we show that this quantum induced transverse momentum gain of the electron is manifest in collisions with a realistic laser pulse of intensity within reach of current technology, and we propose it as a measurable signature of strong-field quantum electrodynamics.