Progress of Probing Strong-Field Laser Electron Interaction at FACET-II
ORAL
Abstract
The 1990’s SLAC Experiment-144 measured the onset of QED nonlinearities in laser-electron interactions, including multi-photon Compton scattering and electron-positron pair production [1, 2]. E-144 has since stimulated a worldwide endeavor to access the transition from the perturbative multiphoton to the non-perturbative tunneling regime of QED, which is still unexplored experimentally [3]. Recent advances in laser technology combined with the Lorentz boost of multi-GeV electron beams enables us to experimentally explore this strong-field QED (SFQED) regime, where the laser intensity reaches or even exceeds the QED critical (Schwinger) scale in the center-of-momentum frame.
Here, we report recent progress of the SLAC Experiment 320 that investigates the SFQED regime at the FACET-II facility [4]. Our scheme is based on the collision of ~10 TW laser pulses with the FACET-II 10 GeV e-beam at a ~150o crossing angle. We describe our experimental approaches, specifically the technique of fine tuning of the spatial-temporal overlap. We also present recent experimental results from the latest FACET-II run that successfully demonstrate higher order nonlinear Compton scattering signals from the laser-e-beam collision, as well as future plans and experimental development.
[1] C. Bula et al., “Observation of nonlinear effects in Compton scattering,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3116-3119 (1996).
[2] D. Burke et al., “Positron production in multi-photon light by light scattering,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 1626-1629 (1997).
[3] S. Meuren et al., “Semiclassical picture for electron-positron photoproduction in strong laser fields,” Phys. Rev. D 93, 085028 (2016).
[4] V. Yakimenko, et al., “FACET-II facility for advanced accelerator experimental tests,” Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 22, 101301 (2019).
Here, we report recent progress of the SLAC Experiment 320 that investigates the SFQED regime at the FACET-II facility [4]. Our scheme is based on the collision of ~10 TW laser pulses with the FACET-II 10 GeV e-beam at a ~150o crossing angle. We describe our experimental approaches, specifically the technique of fine tuning of the spatial-temporal overlap. We also present recent experimental results from the latest FACET-II run that successfully demonstrate higher order nonlinear Compton scattering signals from the laser-e-beam collision, as well as future plans and experimental development.
[1] C. Bula et al., “Observation of nonlinear effects in Compton scattering,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3116-3119 (1996).
[2] D. Burke et al., “Positron production in multi-photon light by light scattering,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 1626-1629 (1997).
[3] S. Meuren et al., “Semiclassical picture for electron-positron photoproduction in strong laser fields,” Phys. Rev. D 93, 085028 (2016).
[4] V. Yakimenko, et al., “FACET-II facility for advanced accelerator experimental tests,” Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 22, 101301 (2019).
*This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC02-76SF00515. JW, DAR, PHB, RH, and TS were supported by DOE, FES under award number DE-SC0020076.
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Presenters
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Junzhi Wang
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln